Godaime Mizukage
by Melchor
Summary: One of the Swordsmen succeeds in a coup against Yagura...but it was not Zabuza. OC.
1. The Godaime

**A.N. ** I've had this idea in my head for several months now, and I just never bothered to write it down. Yes, it's another cross-over. The premise is that one of the _Kiri_ _no Shinobigatana Nananin Shu_ (Seven Swordsmen of the Mist) successfully overthrows the previous Mizukage, though, as it turns out, it is not Momochi Zabuza. Instead, another Swordsman, a _gaijin _(foreigner), no less, has ascended to power. Some things may not completely mesh with the world of the original work, just to make sure I get that across. I'm just telling a different story.

I was influenced by several authors on FF, including Jonohex, who wrote excellent stories such as "The Broken Tool" and now "Kirigakure's Shore," and Dragon6, who wrote "Mizukage."

I do not own Naruto or Claymore. They are the works of Kishimoto Masashi and Yagi Norihiro.

* * *

**Haku**

Whenever the topic comes up in a conversation by the people of Kiri about the Godaime Mizukage, inevitably it results into an argument. Ah, but it isn't the kind that ends in a bloody fist fight to the death, since the Mizukage has forbidden that kind of thing when he came to power, after overthrowing Yagura-sama, the Yondaime. No, it is praise for the Godaime, and the argument usually is about just how much more can the Godaime do to make the country better.

After the overthrow, the change was palpable. The Yondaime was feared by all, who personified the moniker "Bloody Mist" which Kirigakure no Sato was known by. Under such a ruler, the non-shinobi of the village made themselves as inconspicuous as much as possible in the old days, afraid to raise the ire of the shinobi, some of who were said to be just as vicious as the Yondaime. That, coupled with the dreary weather that pervades Kiri for most times of the year, made Kiri a frightful place to be. And yet, somehow, the gloom seemed to have lifted the day after the successful coup. The new Mizukage, when presented to the eyes of the general public on the first day of his rule, seemed far more welcoming than his predecessor. Similarly, the people warmed to his declaration for a need to renew the image of Kirigakure, to make Kiri a place where people should not have to fear their own shadows. Gone was the homicidal tyrant, under whose bloodthirsty rule much suffering took place. In his place is someone who looks deceptively young, with the power and the drive to correct wrongs and lift the people from their misery.

The shinobi forces were more difficult to convince. There were some who were loyal to the Yondaime, and refused to accept the new Mizukage. Then there were others who had no problem with the Yondaime's death, per se. Their issue did not involve the combat prowess of the Godaime—he is, after all, the one who managed to defeat the Sanbi container, with no help from any of the others, including Zabuza-san and the other Swordsmen. Rather, it is his vision of a different Kiri that cause them to be disgruntled. They believed that the ways of the Yondaime embodied the strength of Kiri shinobi, and that way the message would be sent to all the other villages to let them know anyone who opposed Kiri should expect to face a violent end. In the end, these shinobi were given a choice; to accept the rule of the former Swordsman, or be cast out and sent into exile. There were indeed a few who left the village the next day, to strike out on their own without the protection of Kirigakure. But fortunately, none of the other Swordsmen left, and by extension the most powerful shinobi of Kiri remained.

The Godaime, as one of his first acts, liberalized trade between Kirigakure with the other islands of Mizu no Kuni, and under new policies developed by him and his advisors, Kirigakure flourished like never before. Kiri was once known as a backwaters place, in no way comparable to Konoha, the strongest of hidden villages. Now, though it continues to isolate itself from the other villages, the hidden shinobi village of Mizu no Kuni has become a true metropolis. Where once the streets were mostly empty, there are now small crowds of people in the streets, and the sound of chatter can be heard from blocks away. Though the weather remains the way it was before, sounds of laughter and joy are now in the air. Many of the older civilian population, having been born and raised under more violent regimes of the past, declare that it is a good time to be in Kiri. Some even say the monks of the Water Temple, in the past, had already prophesied for the savior of Kirigakure to be a _gaijin_.

However, it still seems strange, amongst the jounin and the Swordsmen themselves, just how easily the new Mizukage had learned to govern a hidden village. When questioned, he merely said that he had once served as mayor of a town, in an earlier part of his life. Just how long ago that was, he would not elaborate. Zabuza-san confided that the Godaime had not changed in his physical experience since the first time he met him, and that had been almost ten years ago. It seems that, with any new information about the Godaime, more questions would arise about his past.

He had been a virtual unknown upon admission as a Swordsman, according to Zabuza-san; he was never educated in the Kiri academy, and yet he possessed incomparable combat skills. Though it seems he does not often use ninjutsu, if at all, he possesses prodigious talent as a fuinjutsu master. Also, his chakra is most strange. Kisame-san said it is unlike any he has felt before, and with the Samehada, he had felt the chakra signature from a large number of people in his life. Though he denies that he is the strongest amongst the seven, and left Kisame to loudly boast of the title, others suspect that they had never seen the depth of the Godaime's power.

But it seems I will have to find some other time to ponder on these things. A shinobi messenger from the port has just arrived and made her presence known.

"Haku-san," the woman called out to me from beneath my perch on the tree. "Please let Mizukage-sama know that a boat carrying some _gaijin _had just docked at the southern harbor. Though we do not know if they pose a significant threat or not, they all carry large swords on their backs. They are all blond women, with grey eyes. The commander thinks they may be mercenaries from somewhere else. I will need to go back to keep watch over the new arrivals."

Nodding my acknowledgement, I performed a shunshin, and left for the Mizukage's office.

---

**Miria**

Land.

We finally see land again.

It had been months since we left the Continent. Months since the beginning of our exile from what had been our world.

Turning around, I looked at the faces of the warriors under my command…likely the only ones that survived the disaster. From Helen's excited grin, to the more subdued but still visible hopeful gleam in Clare's eyes, all the survivors felt their spirits lifted by the possibility of a new world. A new beginning… where we can hopefully vanish, just as we did in the North…and gradually forget all the pain and suffering that was left behind us.

We, the Ghosts of the North, along with God-Eye Galatea, are remnants of the half-human half-yoma hybrids created by the Organization. Shortly after the original seven of us came out of our self-imposed voluntary seclusion in the lands of Alphonse, we encountered Galatea in the city of Rabona, along with two warriors sent to hunt her down. I had given permission to all of them to conclude whatever loose ends they still had, so that, if and when they felt ready again, we would take on the Organization. To make them pay for the deaths of our comrades in the North, for the suffering endured by those lost to us forever.

However, the Organization had not been idle during our absence. They had created a new breed of monsters, trained to hunt down the Abyssal Ones. With these Abyssal Feeders, they took down Isley, the Number One in the first generation of warriors created. They almost succeeded taking down Riful next, when they sent out both Alicia and Beth along with the Abyssal-hunters.

What they had not counted on was for Riful to find the merged being formed from Luciella and Rafaela. Nor would they have known of the series of accidental events that resulted in Clare awaking the dormant consciousness residing deep inside the merged being. The monstrosity that awakened laid devastation to the land. Any living creature touched by the parasitic rods shot out from the merged being spawned forth more monsters, and began a cycle of continuous destruction that destroyed entire towns and villages. One of those casualty included Beth, which caused Alicia the Black to awaken entirely. With the amount of yoki given off by both Alicia and the fused being, Priscilla was drawn into the fight. No one else could have interfered in the three-way struggle, with their innate bloodlust driving them onward, causing widespread destruction in the West.

In the end, Alicia was the one that survived the encounter. The abomination formed by Rafaela and Luciella was destroyed with the combined might of Alicia and Priscilla, who had identified her as the bigger threat. Priscilla, despite the depth of her power, was depleted from the struggle, and could not react in time to Alicia turning on her. The outcome, essentially, was that another Abyssal One had formed. Riful also managed to survive, presumably, after she disappeared from the scene, taking advantage of the distraction from Priscilla. More likely than not, she had been hurt badly enough from her struggle that she needed to recuperate.

We did all we could to try to fight off the spawned yoma from the fused monstrosity, who were all at the level of Awakened Beings in their short lives. Making the Organization answer for its crimes would have to wait. Though Riful's abode was far off in the West, eventually some of the yoma did reach Rabona, and those of us remaining there had no choice but to defend the city once again. Ironically, we owed our thanks to Alicia and Priscilla, since they were the ones that destroyed the source of the spawned yoma, and ensured that no more would be born. Thus, we were finally able to whittle down the numbers of these yoma, and this also allowed the other members of our original seven to fight their way back to Rabona.

The Organization, whose primary interest had never been for the good of the normal humans that we were supposed to protect, finally decided to act. Many of the younger generation of warriors were sent out to fight against the spawned yoma, and many did not survive the onslaught. Even though so many warriors lost their lives in such desperate times, the Organization still focused on obtaining samples from the parasitic yoma. All in the hopes of perfecting a new breed of warriors to aid their sponsors in a far off land.

What no one foresaw, however, was the fact that a conflict elsewhere had reached a climax. The faction supported by those in the Organization, the ones who commenced the hybrid warrior program, had lost badly in a key battle. The Dragon Kin faction had discovered, in the aftermath of their victory, the existence of the program on our Continent, which had been kept secret from them for so long. Because the opposing side was reeling from their defeat, the Dragon Kin were able to place themselves in a position of control, and corner the remaining forces on the mainland.

This meant that a significant number of troops were freed from elsewhere in the struggle on the mainland, and could be made available for other tasks, and they took advantage of it. Thus, while our attention was still occupied by Alicia, Priscilla, the merged monstrosity, and the Organization, the Dragon Kin forces began a large-scale invasion of the Continent. Their main target was to completely eradicate the Organization, but their secondary objective, as it soon became clear, was to eliminate all yoma, and also any hybrid beings created from the infusion of yoma flesh into human beings.

The Organization, unprepared for this sudden change of events, was quickly pushed back. They attempted to call back their warriors in the defense of the headquarters at Staff, but they overlooked one crucial problem. The problem, of course, was that not all of the Dragon-Kin faction were monsters; on the whole, most of the invaders were humans. This created a dilemma for many of the warriors, since they were indoctrinated, from early on in their training, that the most grievous violation would be to kill a human being. While some were able to overcome this barrier, others chose instead to only attack the Dragon-Kin, since they could never, in good conscience, bear the thought of slaying humans.

Staff was eventually overrun, with Rimuto and the other leaders of the shadowy council put to the sword. The warriors loyal to the Organization were also killed off, one by one. Eventually, Dietrich, one of the survivors, made her way to Rabona, and was able to warn us of the threat of the Dragon-Kin. The others in our group, which had finally just arrived back at Rabona, were shocked by the new development. Some probably did not believe me when I first told them all I knew about the Organization, and of the existence of the war that gave birth to the Organization.

The Dragon-Kin forces rapidly set forth from the conquered East, and placed their banner on the walls of the towns they come across on the Continent. Dietrich left on her own to face them, in a last stand, and was killed. The rest of us that remained were placed in a quandary. On the one hand, our goal had been accomplished, and the Organization was no more. On the other hand, however, the new overlords of the Continent do not accept our existence. There really was no justification for us to fight them. They are merely staking their claims on the lands they overrun, and are doing nothing against humans. Even though they are also eliminating all the yoma throughout the land, we knew there was no place for us under their rule, tainted as we were by yoma flesh and blood.

We said our good-byes to Father Vincent, and to the commanders of Rabona's defense force. They had been generous in their thanks, and were sad to see us leave. Clare, especially, had been distressed. She had been so sure she would find Raki while on her quest away from Rabona, but the subsequent chaos had taken that chance from her. Though none of us wanted to say it, but it was likely that he was already dead. Besides, if he were still alive, he would be more likely to be safe staying where he was, than to come find Clare. We were targets of the Dragon-Kin forces, and anyone associated with us could also be placed in danger. Clare was stubborn, but when I directed her to my line of reasoning, she finally conceded. The Continent was no longer the way we had known it to be, and the time for us had past.

We set off with haste to the South, where we knew a port to be. Galatea, Miata, and Clarice also came with us, since they knew that they could not stay in Rabona. However, we were sighted by a scout sent out by the invaders, and soon a force was mobilized against us. Clarice, despite all the fear shown on her face, had been defiant, and asked the rest of us to go on, and that she would try to slow them down. That child…she knew that she was the weakest one out of all of us. And yet, because she felt indebted to us for saving Miata and herself, wanted to repay us, and prove to herself that she could be capable as a warrior. Miata, unsurprisingly, was unwilling to go on without Clarice, and stayed behind as well. None of us were comfortable with that idea. Galatea, especially, tried to reason with them, even though they had originally been sent by the Organization to take her head. However, Clarice was resolute, and with an unsure smile, told us that we should go on ahead.

The eight of us that remained finally set forth, so that we could reach the port and wait. We found a captain willing to take us, after promising to give him all the money that we had, so that he would take us far away from the continent. The belief that nothing else existed outside of our Continent had been broken when the Dragon-Kin invaded. From the scattered reports that we gathered about the direction in which the Dragon-Kin fleet arrived, we chartered a course that would most likely take us as far away from the Dragon-Kin as possible. We had stayed in port for a further three days, without seeing Clarice or Miata. With the news of an approaching Dragon-Kin force, we were finally forced to depart without them.

The journey these past few months on the sea had not been easy. We did not see land very often, and most of them looked inhospitable, even for hybrid warriors such as us. Usually, two from our group would scout the new land while the crew foraged for supplies to restock. The men were disgruntled, even with the promise of gold. Some had eyed us hungrily, and were only held back by our reputation, and the large swords we carried with us. Cynthia and Galatea, in particular, had drawn the most amount of unwelcome attention, and, from the way the relief seen on Cynthia's face just now, she was glad for this ordeal to be over.

Turning back around, we surveyed this new land. Without a doubt, this land is already settled by humans, as can be seen from the busy port. There were many ships docked there, and the whole place seemed to be filled with activity. As we finally disembarked, we noticed the attention from those around us at the port. Some of them seemed to be in uniform, and were giving commands to one another in a language we cannot fathom. Though I could not understand the exact words, I could guess that they wanted to inform a higher authority of our presence. One of them turned towards us, and gave us an incomprehensible command, which ended with a question. We gave him blank looks in response. He gesticulated, and we understood that we were to stay in place, until someone would decide what to do.

"Bah, we should have just stayed on that island we saw three months ago! I mean, even though we didn't see anyone living there, at least we wouldn't be bothered by all this!" Helen, as usual, could not keep her opinion to herself.

"Maybe so, but you were also the one against us staying there three months ago, because you didn't want to be trapped in a place where you may be spending the rest of your life without any outside contact." Deneve said, once again the voice of reason.

I looked over at those in uniform facing us. Some of them seemed uncomfortable with our talk amongst each other, probably because they could not understand it. Others seemed intrigued, and would not stop looking us all over. "I think we should stay still and keep to ourselves for now, until whoever they called for comes for us. It would put them more at ease."

With that, we fell silent. That is, until we suddenly detected a powerful yoki source coming in our direction. I could see the alarm in the eyes of the others, which seemed to agitate those watching us.

"Everyone, don't put your hands on your weapons…we don't want to make them think we are threats, since they cannot detect the yoki, and would interpret our action as a sign of aggression. We would have to wait for the Awakened Being to make the first move before we draw our swords." I gave my command, since I could see that some of them were preparing to fight. This would only put those watching us more on edge.

"How could there be a yoki source this potent in a place so far away from the Continent?" Clare quietly muttered, with her eyes focused on the direction of the source.

Tabitha, who had closed her eyes, gave us her assessment of the yoki. "This one is most certainly at least at the level of an Awakened Being. It is strange, but I feel as if his yoki should be more than what has been revealed to us."

Though Tabitha had proven to be adept at reading yoki, I still wanted to confirm with Galatea.

"The yoki is most certainly at the level of an Awakened Being, but it is set at a wavelength different from what we had been used to. Maybe that's why we could not detect him earlier. This is only a theory, but it seems he knows we are here, and maybe wanted us to know about him also, and that's why he exposed some of his yoki."

We pondered upon this, but soon enough, the source of our anxiety entered our sight.

* * *

**A.N. ** I sometimes felt as if the chapter wrote by itself, and I simply couldn't find a place for it to stop. Hopefully it's been good so far. I am going to add one more cross-over, which will be revealed, hopefully, in the next chapter. There is another story that I have written, which I will continue to write. The annoying thing is that I already have an ending for that story, but I haven't figured out yet all the parts in between. We will see how that goes.


	2. The First Meeting

**A.N. **Thank you all for reading and commenting on my first chapter. Lucky for me (and perhaps for you too), I don't have constant access to stuff relating to school right now, so I am forced to turn my attention to something else. Here's the next installment.

I do not own Naruto or Claymore. They are the works of Kishimoto Masashi and Yagi Norihiro.

* * *

**Helen**

Well, speaking of the devil…here comes the Awakened Being.

He looks pretty good, I must say. A white-haired man who still looks like he is 25, just a head above my height. He is wearing some white robe, with some splotches of dark blue forming some pattern on the robe. It seems that a normal person here is shorter than those from our Continent, which makes this guy much more noticeable than he would be otherwise here, as compared to back home. His eyes are the typical dark brown from our part of the world, but the rest of his face looks much better than most, even more than that guy back in Rabona, whatever his name was. Heh, I guess if he weren't an Awakened Being, I wouldn't mind getting to know him better.

Some other people arrived with him…they probably don't know that this guy's a monster. Some red-headed pissed-off looking girl with what looks like cat ears on top of her head who seems to be on her period (not that I ever experienced one…my hormones probably got out of whack when they put yoma flesh and blood into me. I've only ever heard of it here and there from other humans), and some dark-haired…boy? Girl? Bah, I can't tell. Honestly, whoever that person is needs to make up his/her mind and just stick with one side and not try to be both at the same time. Whoever they are, they don't really look all that impressive. If things start turning south, we can probably fight our way out.

The Awakened Being just said something to the bunch of humans watching us, and they seem to relax. Well, at least they don't look like they are about to try to attack us. Wish I can figure out what he said though, it might be kind of handy later on in this part of the world. That, and maybe learning what to say to get us some food and alcohol. Hum, it seems he is looking at us now.

"Well, this is unexpected," he says, startling some of us. Truth be told, we probably didn't know what to expect from him. Even though his facial features are more similar to those back home than those that are here, he doesn't quite act or behave like the men back home. "I had expected that some warriors may eventually find me here, but not this many." He looks us over. "Though I must have been gone for a long time, if this is the garb that today's warriors wear…either that, or you do not actually follow the Organization."

None of us said anything, until big sister Miria breaks the silence. "We do not, but we did not expect to find an Awakened Being here either. Who are you, and how did you come to this land far away from our own?"

The guy lifts his left eyebrow slightly, like he's some lord far above the likes of us. "I can ask you the same, you know." He then focuses his attention in between Miria and Clare. "You are quite strong for warriors, especially the two of you. So how has it come to pass that so many able warriors desert the Organization? None of you have completely awakened, as far as I can tell."

Our eyes widen in surprise, even the unflappable Deneve. Bet no one saw that coming. Ha, if this situation wasn't so tense, I'd laugh out loud. Heck, I'd even pay to see it happen again. That, and maybe Clare getting her ass drunk, if that ever happens. Although I get the feeling Miria wouldn't like it, and I'd probably get a 10 minute lecture, again, on proper behavior. I sometimes wish she'd loosen up a bit and not be so uptight. Maybe I should try setting her up with a guy like him?

"And yes, I am capable of detecting these kinds of subtle changes. I was the first Eye for the Organization after all, long before any of you were born." The guy says it as if he's talking about the weather or the draft beer made by the monks of the Rabona Abbey. "But you did ask first, so I will tell you. I am Armand, although people here pronounce my name as Arumando, since they are unable, as a whole, to pronounce any foreign words outside of their own system without forcing these words to conform to their own phonetic system. I was once the Organization's Number Two, though I had started out on a lower rank. But that's a story for another time. That, and how I came to these lands."

He turns his attention back to Miria. "Here, I am the leader of an entire village, and have been for several years now. This village is martial in nature, and many of its inhabitants are quite strong, for human beings, and some of them even possess the ability to fight against half human, half-yoma warriors such as yourselves, as surprising as that may be. You would make yourselves enemies of the people here if you were to try and attack me."

We think over these new information, and each of us seem to be unsure of what to do next.

"I have answered your questions for now. I think it's fair for a bit of _quid pro quo._ Now, if you don't mind telling me who you are?"

"We are indeed former warriors for the Organization," Miria speaks up for us. "I am Miria, former Number 6. To my left here is Tabitha, and these others are Deneve, Helen, Clare, Yuma, Cynthia, and Galatea. We have, as you see, just arrived from escaping our former Continent, which has fallen under the control of an empire from outside of our Continent. We do not have the option of going back."

Armand seems thoughtful at this piece of news. It almost seems like he is not surprised at this, but did he know about them from before?

Galatea then speaks up for the first time. "Knowing what you have just told us, it would indeed be rash on our part if we should attack you. However, I can't quite see a reason why you would want to tell us this much. You could have easily left us to figure things out on our own, without the ability to communicate with the people here, and completely friendless. What exactly are your motives?"

"Nothing harmful against you, I can assure you." He looks at Galatea, and seems to be very curious about her. "I am doing all this because I can, and because I would much rather that you do not cause too much disruption with your presence here. It would be mutually beneficial, if you can become more acquainted to the people and the culture of this land."

Miria narrows her eyes. "That is very generous of you, but I have the feeling that is not all there is to it. There seem to be some things you are conveniently leaving out. I wonder if we can really trust your words."

The guy…laughs? Seriously, wouldn't he be upset at Miria and start transforming in front of us by now? "Hum, I wonder about that. Though if you are so suspicious of me, you are quite welcome to try and discover whatever ulterior motives that I supposedly have. I am offering all eight of you a place to stay, at my compound. My children…" We are shocked once again. Children? How is it that this guy can even have children? He can't possibly mean what we think he means, right? "…and yes, I do indeed mean what I said. Two of my daughters were taught on how to read and write the speech of our ancestral land, and the third one is somewhat proficient. They can teach you the language and the ways of the people here, should you desire to know. All I ask is that you stay with us, and not leave this village. Oh, and do not go around the village without one of my subordinates around to chaperone you."

Galatea smiles an ironic smile. "Well, that certainly sounds a lot less generous than what you said initially. So we are essentially treated as prisoners of yours, though you have not said it outright."

"Not so much, my dear sister, but as I am indeed the leader of this village, I do have my people to think of first and foremost. Right now, I cannot justify having you around unsupervised, being that you are strangers who do not even speak the language here. You are most likely to be shown mistrust, and some things which you believe to be harmless may be taken to mean as something insulting, if not downright threatening." Armand looks at her again with interest. "And I cannot, for the life of me, think of how a warrior of our backgrounds became a member of the holy orders, and being blind, at that. I am sure there is an interesting story to tell behind that."

"Not more so than yours, most likely. But if you really mean us no harm, perhaps we can trade stories."

"I would like that."

O….K. There is something going on here, and I don't know if I am looking too much into it. I can't be the only one, right? And didn't this guy just say earlier that he already has children? Where is his wife anyway? She needs to know that her man is being a little too friendly to some woman he just met. Ah, it does seem like I'm not the only one. The pissed-off looking redhead is looking a little suspicious, going back and forth between Armand and Galatea. She looks a little too young to be his wife, although I guess it's possible. Actually, everyone here would be too young for him, if we really want to be technical about it. There hadn't been any male warriors since the first generation, after all.

"Well, that should do for now. Tayuya, my daughter here…" all of us turn to look at her, to see just what kind of kid an Awakened Being like him could possibly have, "...will lead you to your new residence, and answer whatever questions that she can to be best of her abilities, I am sure." The girl scowled, but didn't say a word. Armand then turns to the others around him, and again speaks in that weird language that sounds so different from what we know. They all answer with some words of confirmation, and then scatter to go off in different directions.

Armand turns back to us, having sent off his lackeys. "I have work to do, so I will not see you again until later this evening. You are free to wonder around the family compound, just don't break anything. Oh, my wife is there also, as well as my youngest daughter. They are not really proficient in our shared tongue, so try to direct your questions to Tayuya."

He turns around, and then jumps away, in the same direction he came from.

And leaves us with some girl who doesn't look like she is all that happy being our tour guide.

---

**Tayuya**

Ok, I know I just met these bitches, but seriously, one of them already pisses me off. Just what the fuck is her problem?!

"So, you are the kid of that guy, eh? How much do you know about us? He says that you and some other sister of yours know how to talk to us, but what else did he teach you? Oh, what's the best place to eat here? What kind of drinks do they serve here, are they any good?"

Dad did say that I have to take them to the compound. And right now I'm cursing his name to high heaven for volunteering me, and can't wait till I drop them off. Like I really would want to just sit around the place and babysit them. Too bad no one who works in the Kirigakure information bureau know how to talk to them, and I can't wheedle Haku into doing this for me either. And can't that blonde bimbo stop asking so many damn questions?!

"You know, you don't really behave like that dad of yours. You've got some weird ears; they look like they belong on a cat. And you haven't talked either. Are you sure you really know what we are saying?"

"Yes," I bite through the word as though it is a particularly hard piece of non-tenderized beef, "now if you will please SHUT THE FUCK UP so that we can have some peace and quiet while I lead you to our home? You haven't stopped talking since we left."

I smirk when I saw the expressions on their faces. Some of them look scandalized, particularly that one with the hood…maybe she's supposed to be the equivalent of some nun? Others just look plain stunned. Maybe they didn't expect this coming from the daughter of the Mizukage? It won't be the first time I get that kind of reaction from people. Ha, looks like I might get to have some fun after all.

Rather than being shocked into silence, the bimbo just grins, and give me a challenging look. "Oh, the kid has some attitude. You know, you are a lot more interesting now than before. Wanna see if you can actually make me shut up, little girl?"

I narrow my eyes, thinking of taking her up on the offer. Hey, dad never said anything about this kind of situation. I will just have to explain to him why I beat up one of our "guests" before getting to the compound. I'm sure he will understand. They were going to try and kill him when they first saw him anyway. My day seems to have gotten better all of a sudden…I get to vent!

"Enough, Helen," one of the other woman cuts in before I can agree to the idea. She is obviously the head of their merry band of warriors, all businesslike without any hint of fun. "Armand and the people here have not moved against us since we arrived. We should not be the first ones to do so without just cause. Stop causing us problems, and don't make enemies out of these people on our first day here."

She turns her grey eyes to look at me. "I apologize for Helen's behavior. I hope you would accept it."

With the way the wind just picked up lightly around us, it ruffles her blond hair and her cape, and makes her look like some damn heroine on some quest, with the sword fastened to her back. Nana would have gone all gaga over this scene, if she were here in my place. I'm sure Nana would love to be able to meet them, childish as she is. Ooh, now there's an idea…I can just leave them to Nana, and be done with them. We'd both be happy!

"There is no need," I assure her as diplomatically as I can. At least, I hope I sounded sincere. "We should try to get to the compound so that I can get you more acquainted to the place. It was, after all, the Mizukage's wish for you to be settled as soon as possible."

"If you don't mind me asking," one of the calmer ones speaks up, this one with the close cropped short blond hair with two swords strapped to her back, "just who exactly is the Mizukage?"

"The Mizukage," I answer her, while leading us through a relatively empty street to avoid commotion and curious stares, "is my father, who you saw earlier. He is the leader of this village, which is called Kirigakure no Sato, which is located in Mizu no Kuni, one of the Elemental Countries."

I turn around to look at them. Most of them have their attention focused on me, while the annoying bimbo is acting just like a bimbo, with a confused look on her face. Ha, looks like this one isn't too sharp after all. It gives me a perverse sense of pleasure to realize this, but I am in no way sorry about it.

"The Elemental Countries are each ruled over by a daimyo, and so each leader of a Hidden Village answers to the daimyo," I continue with my crash course in the current political order. "A Hidden Village is a village full of shinobi—people who are trained to fight using any and all means. But above all, a shinobi is hired to complete tasks, whatever they might be, and the livelihood of a Hidden Village depends on the shinobi to complete missions set out by the clientele. In short," I summarize, "though we are trained to kill, our missions are not always about killing. We are a village filled with trained fighters, whose skills are prized by the clientele of the village, and thus bring in the largest percentage of the income for the village."

"I see," another one responds, this one also has shorter hair, but they manage to frame her cold face. Well, if nothing else, it's a good thing they all have different hair styles. Otherwise they all sort of blend in. That, or I simply don't care enough to learn their faces yet. Probably a little bit of both. She gives off an air of calmness, and yet, I can see the fire of determination in her eyes. This one looks like she's had it pretty hard in her life. "Are there any yoma in this land? Are there others such as your father here?"

Well, that was fucking rude. Someone here lacks tact. Am I supposed to even answer that?

"Clare," the nun chides, "that could have been worded differently, and gone over a lot better."

I turn to this Clare, and look her in the eyes. "What do you think I am, exactly?"

She looks at me, wordlessly. We have all stopped in the middle of the street, in front of an apartment complex in a more upscale part of town. The others obviously have been thinking of the same thing all this time, and are waiting for an answer.

"I do not detect any yoki from you," she reluctantly agrees, "but this is the first time any of us have heard of someone with yoma flesh and blood having children. We have always been taught that having had yoma flesh and blood infused into us renders us infertile and unable to ever procreate."

I am silent. Dad did tell me about this, but how exactly should I answer her, when my very existence should not have happened, according to her? I am either some fucking miracle, or an accident of nature. Why should I have to think about her conundrum? I have never been to this Continent that she came from, nor am I ever likely to. Heck, she's the one that's coming here, why should I care about whatever issues she hasn't been able to leave behind? I am not going to question my own existence, as interesting as it is. Let someone else with more time think about it. Like…Nana! Yes, we should definitely make all haste to get back. I can't wait to be done with them. Too many fucking questions that I don't feel like answering.

"I can tell you that I feel human, even though you may not believe me." I finally said. "In some parts of the Elemental Countries, particularly Kirigakure and Mizu no Kuni in general, for whatever reason, there is a high rate of genetic mutations taking place, compared to other places. The Mizukage was the one who first noticed this, and began to investigate it. If you walk around there are people who may not look normal. But they are human, regardless."

I feel self-conscious, but this is something that matters quite a lot to my family. Wars had been fought over it, and we had finally begun to put all this behind us. They better not help turn this place back into some slaughterhouse, accidentally or not.

"The Mizukage has told me about these yoma in your lands, and I for one have never seen any here. Nor has he, and he can sense these yoma." I look at her with hardened eyes. "But in this part of the world we do not need yoma to prey on humans. We do enough of that on our own."

The blond visitors are the ones quiet at my words. Good. As much as I don't mind talking about this, at this rate we won't get to the compound until the nighttime. "Let's get going," I tell them, "there is too much that you do not know, and it is probably better for us to talk about this when we are back in our house."

We were able to go the rest of the way without them asking me more questions.

The gates of the compound could not have appeared any sooner, and thank the heavens that we are almost there.

"This is the Mochizuki clan compound. There are plenty of rooms available, and my sister, Nana, will be happy to help you. I am afraid I must leave you be once we enter the compound, since I do have things to take care of. Let me introduce you to Nana."

Taking a turn once we enter the gates, I immediately seek out a passing manservant. "Go get me Nana."

"At once, Ojou-sama."

We wait around for a minute, before the manservant brings back my sister. She is, as usual, dressed in the usual fine blue kimono. A constant reminder that she is the only one of us three sisters who has chosen a civilian's life for herself.

"Nana, these eight woman are our guests, per dad's orders. They are refugees from dad's old home, from far away. You are going to have to do your best to talk to them."

Nana's eyes light up at that, "Oh, that's wonderful. It is so nice of Papa to take them in, we really should try to do our best to make them feel welcome."

Yep, as expected. Leave it to Nana to take care of everything that I don't want deal with. And the best part of it is that she is very willing to do it too. She's too dense to notice the undercurrent behind the words and actions of people. While that is a serious problem for a shinobi, it is a good thing that Nana has chosen not to be one. And since Nana doesn't fully understand the language from these people, it will probably be quite entertaining watching them interact.

I turn to the blond women, and point my head in Nana's direction. "This is my sister, Nana. Please feel free to get to know each other."

Dancing a silent jig in my head, I quickly shirk my duty and leave the compound. There is still enough time during the day for some training. Now where's Haku when I need him?


	3. The Mochizuki Clan

**A.N. ** Thanks to those who have read and reviewed so far. Hope my answers were satisfying. Here's another installment. Please review, as always, and offer any constructive criticism.

I do not own Naruto or Claymore. They are the works of Kishimoto Masashi and Yagi Norihiro, respectively. I also do not own any recognizable parts I take from Elfen Lied, which is a work by Okamoto Rin. I do, however, own the characters Armand/Mochizuki Arumando and Mochizuki Hatsune. Please let me know if you wish to use them in your own fanfictions. Thank you.

* * *

**Ao**

The two of us came into the Mizukage's office just minutes after he called for us. Not surprisingly, he must have known that we would have been interested in observing these new strangers once we heard the rumors, and would have already taken it upon ourselves to do so.

So here we are, Kisame and I, standing in front of Armand's desk, waiting for him to finish going over more inane reports. It really makes me thankful that I have not been consigned to some desk job, and am still allowed to move about. I cannot imagine being forced to sit on my butt for half a day, wielding nothing more than a brush and a seal, and deciphering atrociously handwritten reports from all around Kirigakure about every little minutiae. It is small wonder that the previous Mizukage went mad. I would too, if I am forced to do this sort of thing for more than even a year of my life.

Finally, with an emphatic gesture and quiet satisfaction, he stamps his seal on the reports, and places them on the large pile of completed reports at the corner of the table. I guess it really helps to be ambidextrous, and being able to multitask using both hemispheres of his brain, as Armand claims he is able to do. Come to think of it, I have never heard him mutter even a word against doing all this paperwork. He really is the best possible choice for a Kage, to be able to run this village with minimal fuss. He now leans back into his chair, and looks over at us while tapping his fingers against the armrest with the right hand.

"You have probably figured out why I called you here, right?" He begins without preamble.

Both Kisame and I nod. We have gone through many years, side by side, all the way through the successful insurrection. In the process, we not only made names for ourselves amongst the ranks of the Kiri shinobi, but also grown to consider each other to be brothers in everything but blood. It is because of this that we can operate with minimal words and gestures, and more or less understand each other. The younger generation probably will never see as much violence as we did, if the present trend continues, but it is this sort of experience that has toughened us, and made us to be amongst the very best in the unforgiving environment of Kirigakure.

"So then, what did you see, Ao?"

I look up, having been broken out of my reverie, and give him the results of my observation. "While looking at them through the Byakugan, I saw that they all have fully formed chakra networks, unlike you," I note, and I see the amused smile on his face, as well as the smirk on Kisame. "None of them have expanded their capacity, however, and this suggests that they are unlikely to ever have learned to use their chakra. Nevertheless, it does not mean their chakra reserves are low. On the contrary, all of them have above Chuunin level chakra reserves, and a few of them have Jounin level reserves."

Closing his eyes, Armand digests this information. "That's not surprising. They are all warriors, and have trained extensively since their youth in physical combat." He looks back up, after making that note. Turning to Kisame, he asks, "What do you think?"

Kisame gives a grunt, and readjusts Samehada on his back. "Like Ao said, Samehada doesn't detect an inordinate amount of chakra from those women. Honestly, if not for the fact that they carry the same swords that you once did, I wouldn't have even bothered. But I saw that they did, so I got curious."

Taking a pause, Kisame stuffs his hands into his pant pockets, and continues. "The nature of their chakra is sort of similar to yours, and yet different. Their chakra is still mostly human, as opposed to yours, but it does feel like there is something which makes it…, well, non-human."

With a noncommittal hum, and a nod of his head, Armand turns to look off to the side. "And that is a correct assessment of our guests," he comments.

"Are you planning to train them in the shinobi arts, even though they do not pledge their allegiance to Kiri, and were just short of attacking you when you showed yourself to them?" I had to ask. Even though I have a suspicion this is already on Armand's mind. Kisame looks to be paying close attention too. "Why else would you be curious about their chakra?"

With a soft chuckle, Armand shakes his head slightly, and turns his head towards us once again. His smile still on his face, his eyes look into ours. "You guys know me well. Yes, I did call for you two, since you two are the best in terms of chakra detection, and no one in Kiri, as of yet, can match your skills. However, it is also because you two are the only ones, outside of my family, who know about my secret."

Kisame and I exchange a look, and turns to look at him expectantly, waiting for him to continue. None of this is anything that we didn't already guess.

"For your benefit, I will give you an abbreviated version of my reasoning, which you are, of course, not allowed to tell anyone else until I do so first. As I'm sure you have already surmised this, these women came from the same place I did…a continent far away to the West. We all started out the same, trained to be warriors after being given yoma flesh and blood, and learned how to use our yoki. The only difference, however, is that I have completely 'Awakened,' as members of my rather small and exclusive community call it. That is to say, I have reached my full potential, at the cost of my own humanity."

He pauses from his tale, as he searches our faces. I have to admit I am somewhat stunned, since this is the first time he has told us something like this. We always just assumed that, even though he possesses yoma traits in his chakra, that he is still semi-human. For him to admit that he no longer is human means something completely different. I can imagine the uproar it would cause, if this gets out to the public. Though it is indeed true that Kirigakure no longer looks upon people with _kekkei genkai _with suspicion, as they used to do, something like this may not be so easily passed off. Anything else unusual about him can be called results of genetic quirks, but not this.

However, neither Kisame nor I are upset at this new found knowledge. We've known him for long enough, and none of us have failed each other yet. We will not fail him now, branding him a monster.

His seems satisfied by this, and continue on with his explanation. "The truth of the matter is, yes, I may consider having them taught at least basic skills in chakra usage, if they can be persuaded to give their loyalty to Kiri first. Because they have not awakened, they are still half-yoma, and half-human, and are able to easily generate and manipulate their own chakra as well as yoki. I am curious about their potential, and if they can be convinced of my intentions, I want to see how far they can go."

I hate to be the one to rain on his parade, but I had to ask. "And what if they turn out to care nothing about us, and decide they want to go elsewhere? They would have already seen enough of the village to cause a problem, if the wrong people get information from them."

"Not to mention, becoming a huge pain in the ass as enemies, once they learn to utilize both chakra and yoki," Kisame adds, though with a grin that shows off his sharpened teeth. "Although it would be fun fighting them, so maybe that's not such a bad idea after all."

"Yes, I'm sure we would all like that. And yet some people still insisted that you would be a good candidate for Mizukage." Armand drily notes, while giving Kisame a flat look. "I wonder if those few people knew at the time, or if they cared at all, that your decisions can be impaired by bloodlust."

While Kisame and I chortle at this, he clears his throat. "At any rate, getting back on topic, I have already thought about all this. That's why we are going to wait, before we decide to tell them anything about using chakra. We will make sure they actually do care enough about the people here first, even if they don't care about me, per se. Although it is possible that the more intelligent ones in the group may be able to figure it out on their own from observing the shinobi, and share what they figured out with the others. That can only be prevented if we tell all the shinobi not to use ninjutsu while in the presence of these women, unless I give permission. Also, I have already decreed that they are to have chaperones around at all times, to make sure that they do not come in contact with any sensitive information."

With a grunt, we acknowledge his points, and for the moment there is silence in the room.

But Kisame, ever the one with a nose for scandal, begins to give his somewhat disturbing grin, while showing off his sharpened teeth. "So, you are going to house ALL eight women at your place, eh? You sure are very generous, but do you think Kaede will be ok with that? Should we be preparing for your funeral? Need I remind you that your wife is one scary woman, who can tear apart anything within two meters around her?"

Giving a sigh, Armand leans back into his chair. "Somehow I was expecting you to say something like that, although you surprise me by putting it off until now." While Kisame laughs openly, and I respond with a more subdued chuckle, he waves us away. "That is for me to deal with. Now, please get out of this office, if you no longer have any important business. Someone actually needs to do work."

We leave the room, accompanied by Kisame's persistent laughter.

"Things have been kind of boring before, but it will be more interesting now." Kisame still has the smirk on his face.

"Yes," I note with grin of my own, "it looks like it will be indeed."

---

**Galatea**

From the moment each of us is born, the light that enters into our eyes allows us to define the differences between the things that we see in the world. They give us an image of the different things that we see, which we can then store away in our mind. They show us the faces of those who are like us, and of those that are different from us. They also show us the faces of those that are considered our friends and comrades, and those that are our enemies. To any normal person, the ability to see is one of the most precious gifts given at birth.

Contrary to popular belief, however, losing that light is not always the handicap that others make it out to be. It can be a refreshing experience, actually, to use all other senses available to me, and it has also sharpened my yoki detection like never before.

From the moment we've met him, I must admit Armand has been an interesting conundrum. Obviously Awakened, and yet still hiding so much more about himself. I have been curious, and have been keeping track of him for the greater part of today. Most warriors would not have picked up on the inconsistencies present in his yoki, but I have never been like most warriors since the very beginning, when the Organization placed yoma flesh and blood into me.

The matter of his family is also of interest. The fact that he even has progeny is fascinating, going against some of the most basic tenets we were taught while still in the training grounds of Staff. Could it be that by Awakening, he has somehow been able to circumvent infertility? If so, would not the Organization have already known about it? Why even create new warriors, if it is possible to have children from Awakened Beings for their research? So many unanswered questions, which may forever remain unanswerable with the Organization destroyed.

It seems I have let my mind wonder a bit too much, and I just missed some of the explanations from the poor well-meaning child talking about the home we will be sharing with her. Her name is Nana, the youngest of Armand's three daughters. She is only six years old, astonishingly enough, even though her voice sounds like someone twice her age. Perhaps she has inherited some traits of advanced physical and mental growth from Armand's union with her mother? After all, based on Helen's questions earlier during the day, her mother may have characteristics not typical of other humans that we know from our world. I cannot tell any other physical traits from the lack of sight, but I can deduce that she is quite a bit shorter than us, from the way the voice is projecting…probably around Miata's height. Like Tayuya, I detect no trace of yoki on her. Even though she does not seem to have a grasp of our language as well as Tayuya, she seems to be far more willing to help us. Helen is off to the side cracking meaningless jokes about her grammar, but Nana is already improving rapidly from just talking with us. She may yet master our language, before we can even say the same for her tongue.

From what she tells us, her mother's name is Kaede, who stays at home most of the time to take care of the house, though they also have servants at their command. She also has an oldest sister whose name is Hatsune. This Hatsune is a Jounin, which apparently is a commanding officer, and is currently serving as a member of a group of seven swordsmen that are considered amongst the elite warriors of Kirigakure, taking the place vacated by her father. Tayuya, who we have already met, is a Chuunin, which is a midlevel officer in terms of comparison to the Rabona officer ranking system. She, herself, has chosen to stay at home, instead of attending their military school system, and helps out her mother wherever she can. If I myself have not spent the last few years as a nun taking care of the orphanage, I would have been jealous of her, living a normal life, without taking an active part in the bloodshed in her world. At least she has the freedom to make her own choices, something the eight of us never had in an earlier part of our lives.

"You can speak our language quite well," Tabitha compliments her. "Did your father spend a lot of time speaking with you in our language?"

"Well, he speaks to us half the time in one language, and half the time in another. We also learned to read from the books he wrote."

"He wrote books?" Miria asks, her curiosity rising. It is true that we were all taught how to read and write, but we never heard of any warriors creating works before, much less an Awakened Being. After all, Awakened Beings, as a rule, only prey on humans, and devotes only the bare minimal of brain activity necessary to blend in amongst their prey. But then again, Armand seems to be breaking many previous notions we have had.

"Yeah. They are really interesting stuff too! It's all about his past life since the earliest time he can remember about himself, which is so different from anything my onee-chans and I have seen."

With a start, I realize that here is a golden opportunity, which I am sure Miria must have grasped. He may not have told us much, yet. But we can always find out more on our own.

"Um, so you have more questions, no?" Nana seems to have limitless patience, answering all the questions being tossed at her, even though it really ought to have been her sister doing this job in the first place.

"Yes," I ask, as kindly as I can, "would it be possible for us to meet with your mother and your other sister also? We should meet all the people of your family."

"Yes!" She sounds positively beaming. "Onee-chan is not here, but I will go get Mama right now!"

With that, she rushes off down the corridor, and leaves the eight of us alone.

"Well, that kid certainly has enthusiasm, I have to say. Still find it hard to believe she is some six year old kid, though," says Helen.

"Indeed," Miria agrees, "though meeting her mother may help enlighten us better, and maybe help answer some of our burning questions. Those books she mentioned sounds promising, but we have no way of knowing if they contain all the facts. We will have to ask one of them to see if we can have a look. I have a feeling that Armand still holds all the answers."

"Oh, that's easy!" Helen sounds chipper, on the brink of making yet another wonderful suggestion that will leave the rest of us shaking our heads in disbelief, "we will just let Galatea talk to him, and leave the two of them alone. He seems _fascinated _by her!"

"Helen," Cynthia gasps out loud, the shock evident in her voice, "that is a horrible idea! He is a married man!"

"Oh yeah? Come on, you guys saw that little scene back there earlier. The two of them were just so chummy together! Don't tell me you didn't notice that."

"Um, or it could just be that he was being friendly, as a host….?" Yuma contributes, with a note of uncertainty. The girl needs a bit more confidence still. She has been overshadowed by all the powerful warriors around her and their personalities over the last few years.

With a sigh, sounding like the long-suffering partner that she is, Deneve comes to the rescue for rationality once again. "Yes, we saw. But I doubt he would lose his mind and answer all the questions we have just from Galatea's charm. Um, no offense…."

Well, I _am_ a bit offended by that, but I still told her that none were taken.

"He is obviously not telling us everything, because he is being careful," Miria ponders out loud. "He does not really fear us, because he knows we cannot get away with trying to kill him, but perhaps he knows that we can still give him enough trouble to cause him problems. Perhaps he is waiting to learn more about us, before giving us the answers. Assuming he does not wish us harm, as unlikely as it may seem based on our experiences with Awakened Beings, it is plausible that he wants to win us over, perhaps with the idea of incorporating us into this village's defense force."

"That is a likely scenario," I concur. "But do we really want to take up arms again? Remember, we would no longer be fighting against yoma, but instead other men."

My question is met with silence, as the others no doubt are thinking the idea over. This is not something we ever had to deal with before, and it would drastically change the way we have operated until now. We never had to point our claymores towards humans before. Could we do it now?

As we are pondering this, footsteps are heard coming back towards our direction.

"Oh, another redhead," Helen notes absently.

Hum, redheads. This is the first time any of them has commented on the appearance of our hosts. That is not a color we ever had back on the Continent. This must be a trait being passed down from the mother's side then. But this makes me wonder…just how much of Armand's blood is passed down, and how would it manifest in his children? If we were to Awaken, would we….no, best not to think in those terms. Shouldn't we have already reconciled with the fact that we cannot have children?

"Please pardon me for not having greeted you earlier," the woman says in halting speech using our language, "but I did not know we are receiving guests." Her voice is quiet, when compared to her daughters.

"Forgive us for our intrusion," Miria responds for us. "But we have just arrived at port earlier today, and your husband, the Mizukage, has asked that we stay with your family for now."

"Ah, I see." The woman responds. Is there…some unhappiness in her voice? I suppose I would not be pleased either, if I were left in the dark about sudden visitors. Or could it be that she is uncomfortable with the idea that there are so many women being given shelter? "You must excuse me for not being able to speak your language well. We have never received people from your land here. Well, except for Armand, but we almost never spoke together using your language."

"No, that is quite alright." I add. "If we are to stay here, we should be the ones learning your language and the customs."

"I see." She says in reply, with all the previous negativity removed from her voice. "I do need to go back to the kitchen soon. Nana," and here she lapses back into her native tongue. Nana made some eager notes of affirmation, while listening to her mother.

When she finished, she tells us again her apologies for not being able to see us to our rooms, but she did tell Nana to take us to them, and to further see to our needs. With that, she walks away, with the promise to talk with us again later.

"Ok, let's take you to your rooms. We have three open on the south wing, would that work for you?" Nana asks.

"I'm sure we can manage," I reply, and I can sense that the others share my opinion. We are guests, after all. Though we are perfectly capable of surviving in the wild, that choice has been removed by our new host.

"Oh good! Here, let me take your hand, I will lead you." She takes my left hand, and begins pulling me away. The others soon fall in step behind me. Even though I could have easily followed after the others without her help, moving based on the sound of their footsteps, I did not want to disappoint the child, and deny her a chance to be able to become closer to us.

While walking along the floors, I note that it feels different, as if there are fibers interwoven together. From what Nana said earlier, this is tatami, something we've never encountered in the Continent. We are apparently never supposed to put our shoes upon this floor, as strange as this concept may be. As I let my bare feet familiarize themselves with this new environment, I strike up a conversation with Nana. "So, can you teach us your language? It would probably be best if we start early, so that we can adapt more quickly." Everyone else agrees with the idea. It looks like we are going to be here for an extended amount of time, so we might as well start learning to become less dependent on our hosts.

"Of course!" Nana responds brightly, sounding rather enthusiastic about the idea of becoming our teacher. She seems so different from her more reticent mother. "Then we can learn to talk to each other in two languages! I think I still have some books from when I started learning that I can use to teach you. We should probably start with the sounds."

Clearing her throat, and then, imitating the tone her instructor most likely used with her, she says out loud. "Now repeat after me. _Ah ee oo eh oh_…."

---

**A.N.** I made Nana into a daughter of Kaede (Lucy/Nyu) here, but it sort of works, since Lucy is the 'Queen' of the Diclonii, after all. Also, Kaede here doesn't have all the behavioral problems from Elfen Lied, due to her having a less traumatic history in this story. That would be discussed in the future. And yes, Tayuya is a Diclonius here, hence her "cat-like ears," and so is Hatsune an original character of mine, who will be introduced further in later chapters.

Never tried writing as a blind person before, so I don't know how well this turned out. Do tell me if you think it could have been done better, because I plan to write in Galatea's perspective again.


	4. The Attempted Kidnapping

**A.N. ** The extended break feels nice…too bad reality is soon to set in once again, meaning that updating the story may take a while. We will see how that goes. Thanks to those who have read and commented on the story. I would appreciate any constructive criticism.

I do not own Naruto or Claymore. They are the works of Kishimoto Masashi and Yagi Norihiro, respectively. I also do not own any recognizable parts I take from Elfen Lied, which is a work by Okamoto Rin. I do, however, own the characters Armand/Mochizuki Arumando and Mochizuki Hatsune. Please let me know if you wish to use them in your own fanfictions. Thank you.

* * *

**Hatsune**

With the wind flowing past me, I quickly make my way through the trees in the hilly terrain, in the direction of the main gate of Kirigakure. The leaves had just begin to change in color, denoting the changing season.

The solo A-ranked mission in the capital of Mizu no Kuni was a complete success. It was not particularly difficult either. The daimyo, Kazutoyo-dono, had discreetly asked Otou-sama to send someone to steal some particularly incriminating evidence from a member of the disgraced Chosokabe clan. The evidence points towards the amoral behavior of one of the daimyo's nephews, which can be particularly disastrous for the ruling Yamauchi clan. Personally, I can care less about the court intrigue, but with Mizu no Kuni having just recently recovered from the civil strife, I prefer to keep the current peace going for as long as possible.

Luckily for me, the mission had been completed quickly, and I was able to leave the daimyo's castle in the early afternoon. Wearing fine clothing is nice, but I don't really care much for it. Thanks to the recent economic growth in Kirigakure, I can now easily procure the same clothes at home, if I wish. Hopefully I will be able to make it back in time for dinner…I want to have some Sanuki udon. The food in the capital is, as always, wonderful, but they just don't feel the same.

Suddenly, I feel a heavily suppressed, unknown chakra signature just up ahead. I quickly stop my progress, and begin to analyze the situation. It is fortunate that my range of chakra detection is enhanced and better than most other jounin. I can detect more chakra signatures now. Three jounin-level shinobi, with a weaker signal from a fourth person. The fourth person's chakra output is at a small, constant rate…which suggests that either that person is like Otou-sama, or the person is unconscious. Given how few people, even amongst skilled shinobi, have the ability to have the precise chakra control needed to achieve this, I am tempted to think the latter option is more likely. And if that is the case, then I may be facing an attempted kidnapping.

Carefully hiding my chakra, I silently go up further into a denser part of the trees, and look down upon the scene. Just ahead of me, there are three shinobi who appear to be resting, wearing grey uniform, and hita-ites that bear a…musical note? It looks like an eighth note, otherwise known as a quaver, in the Western world from which Otou-sama came from. Now that is not something I have seen before. A new hidden village? I must tell Otou-sama about this once I get back.

I would have been content to just observe them, until I laid my eyes on the fourth person of the group. My eyes widen, when I realize, with shock, that the unconscious kidnapped person is none other than Ayanosuke, the second child of Kaguya Soujiro, the current head of the Kaguya. And if it is a Kaguya…then whoever the kidnappers are, they are likely working for someone who wants the Shikotsumyaku. I cannot just let them go…looks like my return will be delayed.

When I am finally close enough to hear voices, I stop, and begin to focus on their conversation.

"Good for us, those Kaguya never noticed us until we had already departed. It is a good thing that we have a genjutsu expert like you working for Orochimaru-sama." The first one, who just spoke, appears to be a fairly stocky guy, with large upper body mass. His facial features are unknown, since he has his back facing me. But the most important tidbit is the name he just gave. Orochimaru, one of the Sannin and nuke-nin from Konoha? This is beginning to sound even more worrisome.

"Heh, no problem. It was easy as hell, this mission. So much for the reputation of Kiri shinobi. We were lucky, to be able to get one of the clan head's children. I'm sure Orochimaru-sama will reward us well." The second one, a scrawny guy with a scar running down his right cheek, boasts.

"Whatever. We still need to get back to base with this kid. Let's just get back quickly after another two minutes of rest." The last one, who wears a large beard, along with some odd contraption on his left arm, gives his opinion.

Hum, taking on two of them at one time is no problem at all, even if they are high jounin. Fighting three at one time is not ideal, but doable. The simplest, and best plan, is to kill or disable one quickly, before the other two can react. Still, I will need to leave one alive for questioning later, now that Orochimaru's name was mentioned.

I silently look around once more for traps, taking note of the three tripwires that are already placed near the circle of sitting kidnappers, and then create three Mizu Bunshin, as well as three Oboro Bunshin. While two of the Mizu Bunshin are kept in reserve, the rest slowly close in to the kidnappers.

The Mizu Bunshin goes in first, and the genjutsu expert falls forward with a quick chop to the neck along with a stasis seal. Noticing the slump from their colleague, the other two quickly gets up.

The stocky one pulls out a kunai with his left hand in a guarding position in the front, while his right hand holds another kunai against Ayanosuke's throat. The third person with the impressive beard holds up his left arm with his right, and is alternating between scanning the back to check for more enemies, and looking at the Mizu Bunshin.

"Damn, looks like at least one Kiri nin caught up with us, and managed to get close to us without setting off the traps," the muscular one hisses to the other.

"Not just any Kiri nin either. She's Mochizuki Hatsune, one of the Seven Swordsmen of Kiri. Be careful," the bearded one warns his teammate.

"We still outnumber you, Kiri nin," the bulky one calls out, while pressing his kunai closer to Ayanosuke's throat. "And also have a hostage. Give it up."

Just as he said these words, the Oboro Bunshins appear next to the bearded man, surrounding the third shinobi on all sides. The man first off his contraption, and at first there seems to be nothing, until a ringing noise hits my ears. I quickly bite down my teeth, before I give away my position, while covering my ears. Sound travels through air, which means the contraption likely holds something that is compressing air and amplifying the sound waves. It's an attack that both assaults the ear drums, as well as creates a force with the compressed air. That contraption is a nuisance that needs to go.

The other, larger man demonstrates surprising quickness for someone of his size, and throws the kunai in his left hand at the Mizu Bunshin. He begins making hand seals, but is interrupted by a second Mizu Bunshin that I sent out, which begins to attack him from the side, forcing him away from Ayanosuke. The bearded one has just noticed that his attacks do not work against the Oboro Bunshins, and pulls back. The air waves distort these Bunshins, but do not otherwise have any visible effect, and because these clones are Oboro Bunshins, they do not dispel after an attack.

Having seen enough, I send in the last Mizu Bunshin against the bearded man, while I join the fight myself against the bulkier man. The ploy seems to be working, as the Mizu Bunshin blends into the Oboro Bunshins, causing him confusion. Whenever he tries to against the Mizu Bunshin, it would phase into an Oboro Bunshin, causing the man to attack the Oboro Bunshin instead, and leave himself open to the Mizu Bunshin's attack. He tries to use a few katon jutsu against the Bunshins, but to no avail, and has already suffered two serious gashes on his right side. While it is indeed true that most Bunshins are low level techniques, experienced ninjutsu practitioners can still use them to great effect.

Against my opponent, the larger of the two men, I neatly slice off the right arm with the claymore. He howls out in pain, not having seen me moving my arm at all, it seems. Enraged, he now attacks with wilder swings of the kunai with his one remaining arm. Absently, I notice his knotted eyebrows, and the drool leaking from his gnashing teeth. Just like an enraged beast. I side-step him easily, and with two more slashes, I dispossess him of his remaining arm, as well as his head.

Turning around, I see that the bearded one finally managed to rid himself of my Mizu Bunshin, and is about to fire his contraption at me. Too bad for him; he is within seven meters away from me. Three of my vectors shoot out from my back, and shreds apart his left arm, along with the weapon. He gives off a painful cry, and collapses to the ground, clutching at his useless left arm with his right arm. His body is wracked with pain. Walking towards him, I hit the back of his head with the handle of the claymore, and render him unconscious.

With all visible foes dead or rendered unconscious, I look around again. I now have three unconscious individuals to take care of, counting Ayanosuke. Of course, to make it easier, I can choose to keep just one of the kidnappers. Though having an extra captive may provide us more information about Orochimaru.

Fortunately, if my senses are correct, I won't have to worry about this dilemma any longer.

A moment later, five people drop down to my position from the trees above. All are faces familiar to me, including Kimimaro's, which I had hoped to avoid for awhile.

I give off a quiet sigh in my mind, already knowing what is going to happen.

"Hatsune-senpai, it is fortuitous to see you here. I am at your service, if you should ever have the need. I have already pledged to serve you and Mizukage-sama to the best of my abilities." Kimimaro begins, with yet another variation upon a familiar theme.

"Yes, I know." I reply, with just the slightest note of annoyance. Really, when will it get through to him? "And I believe I have also told you that, while I am most certainly appreciative of your loyalty to the Mizukage, there is no need for you to do the same for me. I am your peer, not your master. You owe me no allegiance; only the obedience expected from a subordinate to a superior."

"Hatsune-senpai, it is not mere loyalty that I pledge to you…." Did his voice just change? Must be my imagination….

"Ok, that's enough of that. You can give your confession to her in private later. We still have a matter of a kidnapping to take care, or have you forgotten about that? He is your cousin, you know." Zabuza growls out through the wrappings around his face, having also seen this sort of scene play out many times. Although his choice of the word 'confession' is rather interesting. What would Kimimaro need to confess to?

"Anyway," Zabuza turns to me, clearly impatient. "It's a good thing you came back from your mission in time to intercept these kidnappers. Soujiro-sama was furious when he found out Ayanosuke went missing."

"About that," I interrupt, "how did this lapse in attention come about? Someone should have picked up on them before they got too far…they may be jounin level shinobi, but they are not exactly extraordinary."

"You are right, but quite a few people were curious about the new visitors who just showed up in port today, so they must have taken that opportunity to slip into the Kaguya compound." Zabuza replies, with a shake of his head. "If those three actually got away with it, then that would have been a real embarrassment for the Kiri forces."

"Yes," I agree, "now you can all help to carry them back. We must go back immediately, and get the kidnappers to Interrogation Department."

With the various unconscious people secured, and the body of the dead nin destroyed, we begin moving towards Kirigakure at a fast pace.

"These strangers," I ask Zabuza, "what is so interesting about them?"

"Well, they are all women, for one." I give Zabuza a flat glare, and he chuckles, while holding up his left hand in appeasement. His right arm is used to grip onto the bearded prisoner. "And the other thing is that they are all blond, and carry the same exact swords that you are carrying."

With a start, I think back to some of the stories Otou-sama told me about his past. Blond hair, and all carrying claymores. Then these must be yoma-hunters from far away. Could they be after Otou-sama's life?

"Have they tried to attack the Mizukage?" I ask, my voice a little sharper than intended. The ones in the back are startled, and look at each other in confusion. It seems that those women have not, then.

"The situation seemed somewhat tense, initially." Kimimaro replies, while adjusting his hold on his cousin. "None of us could make out what it was that transpired between Mizukage-sama and those prisoners, since they were speaking in another language unfamiliar to us. However, those women did, at one point, assume combative stances once Mizukage-sama appeared in front of them."

"I see." This day just keeps getting more interesting. "And where are those women now?"

"Mizukage-sama has seen it fit to accommodate them at your compound, Hatsune-senpai."

Really? Well, Otou-sama always seems to find a way to turn something disadvantageous into something to his favor, so hopefully he already has an idea of what he is doing. Oka-san cannot possibly be happy with having extra guests all of a sudden. She hates surprises.

With the sun on our back, we make our way home.

---

**Kaede**

I still remember the night when we first met.

The whole countryside was in chaos, as it had been for years, and everyone was fighting to save only himself. Having a unique bloodline meant even more trouble. As such, my parents stayed away from everyone else, and relocated to a place on a smaller island in the periphery of Mizu no Kuni, at the base of a mountain. If needed, only my father went out of the house to the nearby town. My mother and I barely saw any other people. I was taught, in the beginning, to always keep the hat on, and to keep the hair long, so as to hide the protrusions on top of my head. I was also told to never reveal my vectors to anyone else, even though they were so useful to have, and made the housecleaning chores much easier.

My family of three lived in a small cottage, making a living from the rice and vegetables that we grew and sold in the market of the nearest town. Being further away from other people meant that we were secluded, and protected, from the upheaval. We were not rich, but we were never in any desperate need. The scenery around the cottage was beautiful, and I pitied those children living in the towns. They had barely, if any, land of their own outside of their homes, and had so little space to move about freely. They could not go to the trees nearby to pluck fruits, as they had no fruit trees. They would have to walk outside of their town to see the fireflies at night, while I could see them outside of my window. I would not have traded my life for theirs.

My mother and father tried to give me the best home they can, and always smiled when they looked at me. And yet, when they thought I was not looking, they either looked at each other, or outside the window, with such apprehension even a young child could notice. I finally learned the truth from their lips, after having seen enough of those looks, and decided to ask. It saddened me, knowing that there were people who would come after us, though we had done nothing to them. At first, I wished that I had not asked, but looking back, perhaps that helped to save my life.

Somehow, some 'upright citizens' from nearby had gotten hold of news of my mother's strange appearance, and had decided that our entire family was a part of the menace that was tearing the country apart. Even though neither of my parents had ever been a shinobi, and could not have taken part in the civil war alongside other clans with kekkei genkai.

It was a cold and windy day, just two days after snowfall. I had even played outside in the snow just the day before, happy as I could be. My mother dressed me up warmly to go outside again, and I went into the nearby forest.

I noticed something wrong on the way back almost immediately. There was smoke coming out of the house, and there was fire coming out of the windows. Strange men were walking about, and some were laughing, waving about sharp tools and weapons. Remembering what my parents told me, I climbed up into a tree and hid. I was afraid.

As soon as the crowd walked away, I ran back to the house. I fell on my knees, with tears coming out of my eyes, when I saw my parents outside of the door, dead. They were holding onto each other even in their last moments. And I…I survived, but I had no one left. My world had been shattered, and I was fourteen.

Taking what I could salvage from the burning house I then made a grave for them, using my vectors to move the earth. There was nothing more than two simple stone pieces arranged next to each other, to even show that there had once been life inside the crumbled home.

I went into the nearby forest, and survived for several weeks in it. All the time spent playing and wondering around in it had familiarized me with the forest. I found a narrow hiding space where I could rest during the day, and only went out at night, looking for food.

It was on one such evening when I met Armand.

I was almost fifteen, though there was no joy in my heart, for I no longer had a family. Slowly, after the start of my seclusion, I had become distrustful of other people, not wanting to see a repeat of what happened to my family. There was even a murmur at the back of my mind, which I never had before; an inner desire to avenge my parents' deaths. A desire to kill other humans…. Looking back, had Armand not found me at that time, my mind would most likely have degenerated, from the lack of contact with other human beings. I may eventually even give in to the urge to kill others, after slowly losing my moral code, little by little, living a solitary existence as I had been.

I had gone out to look for food that evening, using a different route. Taking a chance, I went into a clearing inside the forest, where there was a small lake full of fish. As I turned around to go back, after having caught enough for dinner, I saw a man there, standing at the perimeter of the clearing.

Immediately I dropped the fish, and my vectors came out in front of me. I had not tried fighting a person before, but having survived against some of the most vicious animals inside the forest, I felt ready.

Instead of reacting the way I expected of him, he merely put up his arms, and walked towards me. I was distrustful, and carefully moved back at a slower pace. If he did not notice, then I could fight him when he was only two meters away.

The moonlight shown through just then through the clouds, illuminating both myself and this unknown man. He was tall, and had brown hair, with a face that was mesmerizing, unlike any others that I had seen before. Not that I had seen many other faces.

He seemed very intent in looking at me also, and had just stopped, right outside of the two meter distance. If I needed to, I could just walk forward one more step, and he would be within reach of my vectors.

He turned his head around to look at the moon, seemingly studying it. I turned my eyes also to look at it, and noticed that it was a crescent moon. He turned back, and smiled at me. I blinked, not having any idea what could be going inside his head.

"It is nice to look above at the moon tonight, isn't it?"

Still confused, I nevertheless answered him, cautiously. "Yes, it is."

"Are you lost? There are no houses or towns nearby for quite some distance."

I looked at him, still wary. "Please do not worry about me. I live in these woods."

"All alone? I heard there had been a mob not too long ago nearby, where some family with kekkei genkai lived."

I tensed up, involuntarily. He must have noticed too, since he waved his hand, seemingly to dismiss the idea. "However, that is all just hearsay, and no one could actually provide any proof to me. The house seemed to have been completely razed, so it was even possible that whoever the mob got, could have been only normal civilians."

I relaxed, just a little. The man looked at me in the eyes. "However, if you really do possess any unusual traits, I think it would be better if I helped to protect you, rather than let you go on, trying to survive on your own at your age."

At that, I became filled with anger. "I don't need your help! Why should I trust anyone?"

The man's eyes filled with some sadness. He took off the sword on his back with his right hand, which immediately caused me to be on edge. I stretched out my vectors in front of me in preparation for a fight. "Wait, just wait and see, I promise you I do not plan to hurt you," he said, soothingly, trying to placate me with his left hand held up.

What happened after was completely unexpected.

With the sword raised, he cut off his left hand, causing blood to spew out.

I was shocked, and completely stunned at the sight. Why would he do such a thing?

And then, in answer, I saw his arm suddenly transform. No longer was it a whole arm, but separate strands, almost like the tentacles found on the octopus that my family had once in a while. They twisted around each other, writhing. In just a few seconds, his arm looked the same as it was before, with no trace of any injury left.

His voice cut me off from my trance. "As you can see, I cannot possibly claim to be like any other normal human being either." My gaze turned back to his face, and I saw it held a sad smile. "This country, until it can be changed, will always treat people like us with suspicion. Some, as you already experienced, may even try to kill us, for they do not understand us, and would like to place the blame for their troubles upon our heads."

I lowered my vectors. This person…he really was like me. A tear fell down my face then, the feeling of loneliness that I had been able to suppress, all this time, finally caught up to me.

"It has been sometime since I last helped to take care of someone, but I promise that I will try my best. I cannot, in good conscience, let you try to make it through your life on your own just yet." Placing his sword onto his back once again, he offered me his right hand. "If you come with me, I will teach you all that you need to survive."

Seeing his face just then, I made up my mind to follow him.

As I walked up to him, he looked down at me, with a smile. "What is your name?"

"Kaede. I cannot use my family name, in case anyone finds out about my connection to my parents."

He looked up at the moon again, and then glanced down, smiling. "Then, I think, you should receive a new surname. How does Mochizuki sound?"

I smiled at him, for the very first time since we met. The moonlight illuminated both of us, bathing us in clear light, and I felt as if all the darkness that had been in my mind faded away just then. I would treasure this moment forever.

---

The years passed like a blur. As Armand promised, he taught me various survival skills, and also some basic skills of other civilians. It was amazing, to see someone who knew so much. He even taught me how to fight, so that I could better protect myself. I also grew, both physically and mentally. I had already accepted the tragedy in my life, and learned to pass on. No longer was I the frightened fourteen year old girl. I had turned nineteen, and felt ready to take on the world.

Armand and I passed around the various parts of Mizu no Kuni, and performed odd jobs here and there. We even took on bandits that raided the countryside, which Armand believed would help me hone my fighting skills. We were always successful, and made enough to survive comfortably. I was happy again. Armand never tried to raise me as his daughter, and I never saw him as my father. He was my constant companion, and I grew to love him. He had saved me from the darkness in myself, and I intended to be by his side, always. In my own mind, I knew that I could not possibly feel this way for anyone else.

Then, one day, he turned to me, with a serious expression, and told me of a decision he had made, which brought an end to the lifestyle we had led.

"Kaede, I have decided to join the Kiri shinobi forces."

I was horrified at the idea, and immediately grabbed onto his arm, as if physically stopping him could help deter him from his choice. "No, you can't! You yourself had said that we cannot be noticed by the shinobi, or else our lives would be in danger, once they find out about us!"

With a sigh, he brought his other hand on top of my own, and squeezed them. "I know. But with the way the things are, we will still be living with that fear, even years from now. I want to be able to change that. I am fairly confident in my own capabilities, even though I am not a shinobi. I will rise to the top, and become Mizukage, and bring an end to the hostility against those with kekkei genkai." The lines on his face showed his determination. It showed a force of will that could not be denied.

Turning his gaze towards me, his eyes softened, as he held my own. "I want to let you live a free life, no longer constrained by fear."

Hearing that, I lowered my own eyes.

"Of course, going to Kirigakure will be even more dangerous than anything else that we had faced these past few years. You have already done well enough. You should be able to find work, and start a life of your own. Heh, maybe you will find a good man, and start a family too. I do not want to endanger you by bringing you to Kirigakure, so we will have to part ways. Please wait to hear the good news, when I finally bring an end to all this after becoming Mizukage, and then I will come find you again."

My eyes rose up to meet his, filled with determination, and unshed tears. "Then I will not let you go alone. You are taking me with you."

He drew back, with a baffled look. "Have you not been listening? It is too dangerous for you!"

"I heard all that you said. But I am not leaving you to do this alone. I will come with you." With a pause, to gather my courage, I continued onward, with a resolute voice, "and just so you know, there is no other man that I would ever want to be with. You are the only one for me."

His eyes widened for a few seconds, the shock evident. Did it never cross his mind that I could fall in love with him? His gaze softened then, and a sad look came over his face. "Kaede, I had not been completely truthful to you before. I am not simply someone with a kekkei genkai. I am not even human anymore. You cannot possibly want to spend the rest of your life with an abomination like me."

My own eyes widen in shock, but that moment passed quickly. "I don't care. There is nothing that you can say that will change my mind."

"Then I will show you! I will let you see my true form!" He proclaimed, but then became silent again, and the creases in his eyebrows furrowed even more than before. "But just be aware, this is not going to be a pretty sight."

I was resolute, and with a sigh, he stepped a few feet away, and then took off his clothes.

My cheeks tinged red, just slightly. I had seen him naked before, unintentionally, but I had yet to be able to control how I react to it. Of course, I also tried to hide it as well as I could, and never let him know about it.

At first there was nothing, but then, I felt it. An overwhelming feeling of dread came over me, without my control. His body transformed, turned darker, and he grew in height. Six wings sprouted from his back, and his arms transformed into several tentacles. His head seemed to have become deformed also, with two horns coming out from his forehead. The handsome visage was lost, and his eyes turned white. The wings flapped, spread out, and then folded themselves against his back.

"I am Armand. Look upon me, and despair!" He asserted loudly.

But then his body began to transform back once again, and he picked up his clothing. With a sad smile, he turned to me. "At least, that is what I would say, if I were a prideful monster. But I am not. I understand full well that I have lost my humanity, and it was not some wonderful achievement." After putting his clothes back on, he walked back to me. I was deep in thought. With a poke on my forehead, he brought me back to face him. Again he gave me the sad smile.

"I will completely understand," he said slowly, softly, "if you no longer wish to have anything to do with me. I have not told you the truth about myself, and had selfishly kept the secret to myself, when you had already trusted me enough to know everything about you. I do not blame you, if you choose to leave, and forget about coming with me. Not after you know of my darkest secret."

Shaking my head, I looked up, back into his eyes. "To some people, I am also a monster," I murmured, while leaning in to him, putting my hands on his chest. "And to me, those who would kill my parents are the true monsters. If you were a monster, you would never have taken me in, as you did. So please," I pleaded with him, "let me come with you."

I leaned in, and placed my head against him. He did not refuse me again, and for that I was glad.

---

Looking around, and seeing the changes that had taken place since that day, I honestly must say that things had turned out quite well for us.

We were wedded not soon after that, and by the time he became a jounin, we already had Hatsune and Tayuya, and lived in a comfortable house in Kirigakure, carefully hiding our hidden powers. Later on, I was told that only some of the clans with kekkei genkai had been found, while many others, like us, had also concealed their powers from others. All of them were waiting for a day when they would no longer need to hide it for fear of persecution.

He finally decided to follow through on his pledge, and led the uprising, after Hatsune already made chuunin, and Tayuya was on the point of being enrolled into school. The Yondaime's excesses had turned enough of the shinobi against him, and Armand felt the time was right to carry out his vision.

They planned carefully, and then carried out the coup flawlessly. There was little bloodshed, and they were able to quickly isolate the Yondaime from his closest supporters. When it was all over, there was great rejoicing from the streets, once the news started filtering out. Armand took over, and oversaw a major overhaul of the existing system, and the past years had shown the fruits of his labor. Kirigakure had, for years, been stifled under the weight of warfare amongst its people, and had only begun to show the potential of greatness just recently. It is still difficult to reconcile the changes, for those that had lived in the Kirigakure of old and the one now.

My reflections are interrupted, when I hear a familiar crackling. I turned around, and saw a burst of black tendril exploding outward from space occupied by only air just a second ago. Armand steps out from his unique form of shunshin, and leans in for a kiss on the cheek. "How was your day?"

Distancing myself, I give him a glare, while crossing my arms across my chest. "It was fine, until Nana ran in to let me know that we suddenly had guests. Eight _women._ So tell me, is your wife no longer good enough for you?"

Chuckling, he waves it off, while closing the gap between us again. "Of course not. They reminded me of my past life in the Continent to the West, and I also wanted to find out the reason they would come so far away." He encircles his arms around me, while placing his chin on top of my head. "Do you have so little faith in your own husband?"

"Sometimes I do wonder, if you purposely give out mixed signals to other women," I retort. That Terumi woman still cannot seem to keep herself a respectable distance away from him. I don't care if she is one of his ANBU captains, she needs to go find herself another man.

"Nonsense," he reassures me, "I would not do that to you." He looks back down at me, after taking his face out of my hair. "Hatsune should be home in any moment, after finishing up some last minute tasks for Interrogation Department. We can have dinner then."

Nodding my head in assent, we walk out of the kitchen, with our hands joined.

* * *

**A.N. ** I honestly had no idea this chapter would turn out the way it did. Writing in Kaede's perspective had been an interesting experience. I had been stuck, thinking of how to write, but then the block was lifted, and the words just started coming forth in a glut.

_Oboro Bunshin no Jutsu_ is a D-ranked technique, used by the Ame Genin that attacked Team 7 in the Forest of Death during the Chuunin Exam. They are intangible clones, allowing for things to pass through them without dissipating. The Sharingan can see through the illusion, however.

_Mochizuki_ (望月) means to "look at the moon," based upon my interpretation of the Chinese characters.

Terumi Mei is the Godaime Mizukage in the manga, as an FYI for those who have not seen the more recent manga updates.


	5. The Phantom x 2

**A.N.** The break from writing lasted longer than I thought, but at least I'm done taking my last exams (fingers crossed). Still unemployed, but hopefully that will soon change. Anyway, for those of you wondering, I will bring in the Konoha people at some point into the story, but that may have to wait at least another 2 chapters. At least one more person from the Old World will be making an appearance before that happens, but probably not in the way any of the readers expect.

I do not own Naruto or Claymore. They are the works of Kishimoto Masashi and Yagi Norihiro, respectively. I also do not own any recognizable parts I take from Elfen Lied, which is a work by Okamoto Rin. I do, however, own the new characters that I create for the purpose of the story. Please let me know if you wish to use them in your own fanfictions. Thank you.

* * *

**Miria**

The library inside this large house is a quiet and well lit room. There are several shelves lining the walls, as well as two ladders to facilitate someone who wants any of the material in the upper shelves. Some tables and chairs for people to make use of for their reading are arranged around the middle of the room. Several pieces of pastoral and scenic paintings hang from the walls, in the empty spaces between the shelves. A giant map takes up a prominent position in one of these empty spaces, which doubtlessly depicts this country, and the surrounding areas. I tell myself to study it in detail at another time. The room's overall design is more alike to one found on the Continent, than to anything we have seen here so far.

Just as Nana had mentioned, the library does include a section of memoirs written by Armand, amongst other books and scrolls. They were written exclusively using the letters only recognizable to someone from the Continent. It seems he has written them, not only to teach his own children how to read our language, but also for any visitors from his place of birth to peruse. Did he, perhaps, expect someone to pay him a visit? From what I remembered, the Organization's records did not mention him in any great detail, unlike the Abyssals, and some of the other more prominent Awakened Beings. He had simply disappeared for so long, that perhaps the Organization considered him dead.

His childhood was unremarkable, besides the familiar story of being taken away by the Organization when he was still quite young. The parents had died early, and his relatives did not wish to take care of him, since they already had children of their own, and did not want an extra mouth to feed. Thus, they were quite willing to part with him when an agent of the Organization offered them money in exchange. Armand did not seem to feel too much antagonism towards his relatives, probably because he knew it was merely the reality of the world in which he lived.

I have only started to read about the beginning of his life as a trainee, when Tabitha walks into the room. I look up just as she stops in front of the table I have been using. "Miria-taichou, it is time for dinner. We have been asked to join them." Giving a silent nod in acknowledgement, I place a piece of cloth in the parchment as a placeholder, to continue my reading later.

When we walked into the dining room, I noticed a new face that we had not seen earlier today. She is taller than Tayuya, but bears likeness to the other girl. I can only assume this to be Hatsune, the eldest child of Armand. Looking a bit closer, I can see that she does bear some resemblance to him, but still look more like her mother. The only other thing of note is that she is carrying a claymore, which she had just set down against the side of the room. Has she been taught to use that claymore by Armand? Could it be that he actually kept his own claymore, which he has now given to his daughter? That is something never before seen in an Awakened Being. Usually, upon awakening, they lose a good portion of their previous selves, and a sign of it is the abandonment of their claymores. After all, finding Hilda's claymore helped me realize, eventually, that she had been the Awakened Being that I killed, during that time when I almost awakened while on a team with Ophelia.

Hearing a polite cough, I turn to see Armand, already seated, and gesturing to the table. "Please have a seat, so that we can begin."

Looking around, I see that the others have also gathered, and none of them have taken a seat yet, either. Shrugging her shoulders, Helen decides to go first, being her typical straightforward self. Soon after, the rest of us followed suit, with the girl, Nana, taking Galatea's hand, and leading her to a seat next to her. Tayuya has taken a seat next to her mother, who is sitting next to Armand. Hatsune has taken the other seat next to Armand, with her youngest sister seated on her other side. The rest of us warriors take the seats around the other half of the table.

There is an additional person not part of the Mochizuki family or a member of the warriors. A boy, who was previously seen accompanying Armand when we first met him after disembarking from the ship. He is sitting next to Tayuya. "This is Haku, he is Tayuya's teammate, and will be joining us for dinner tonight." Armand answers my unvoiced question.

He then begins to speak in the tongue common to this part of the world, as he communicates with his subordinate. The boy answers back, with a series of nods, and the occasional word. It really is inconvenient that we cannot understand what is said around us, and this needs to be rectified as quickly as possible. At least some of us need to be conversant enough so that we do not need to overly rely on Armand's family. Tayuya has joined into the conversation, once again completely leaving us clueless.

"Don't worry, they are merely discussing a new mission that Otou-sama plans to assign them." Turning my head, I look at the oldest child of Armand, who appears to have noticed. "And sorry for not having introduced myself earlier. My name is Hatsune, and Nana already talked to you about me, from what I hear." The girl is fully conversant, and seems to have attained mastery of our language, with no flaws whatsoever in her speech.

"No, I should not interfere in the matters that do not concern me." I answer back, before introducing the other warriors and myself, for her benefit.

Nodding her head once, Hatsune begins to sip from her cup of tea. "The purpose of this dinner is several folds. This will allow all of you to see us, who are likely to be your chaperons, and also introduce you to some of the food common to Kiri, and to the rest of the Elemental Countries. Since you are newly arrived, and do not know many things, including the food here, we thought it would be helpful." Placing her cup back down, she turns to look at each of us, in turn. "To be quite honest, I had thought that you are here for Otou-sama's life, but I am glad to see that has been prevented. I will try to be of help, whenever I can."

"Thank you. We were actually quite surprised to find him here, since we never knew of anyone formerly with the Organization having left our Continent before us." Galatea speaks up, while fumbling with her utensil. It appears that fork and knife is not something used here, and instead they rely upon two pieces of sticks for eating. Nana, upon noticing Galatea's difficulty, finally reaches over to place her small hand over Galatea's own, in an endeavor to guide her.

"Yeah, we just aren't used to the idea of an Awakened Being fitting in with humans, and not killing them. We might have started fighting him, if only there weren't that many people around us. He was lucky." Helen is making an attempt to talk while eating at the same time. That was not a very smart comment to make.

With a disgusted look in her direction, Tayuya breaks off from her conversation with her father, and sneers at Helen. "Yeah, like you would be able to take my father on. Do you have any idea how much stronger he is compared to the rest of you?"

I take that back. It seems that we have two people with loose mouths at this table. I can envision countless similar scenes happening in the future, between these two.

"Hey, Shorty, I didn't ask you. If you want, we can go out and settle this right now. It won't take too long, and I will still be able to come back and finish dinner." Helen snorts in response, while daring Tayuya with the way her eyes are narrowed.

This is getting out of hand, and I shoot a look of warning towards Helen, but she does not see. Deneve has taken a more proactive approach, and has placed a restraining hand on Helen's shoulder.

"That's enough, Tayuya. Helen, I am not your superior in any way, but as the host, I demand that you do not instigate a fight while everyone else is trying to eat." Armand's voice cuts over the squabbling. "And there will be no fighting until I say so, is that understood?" For once, his countenance does not look pleased. Thus far, he has carried on without any worry, as if we are not a threat to him. To be honest, we don't really have any reason to turn against him, either.

The conversation died quickly after that, until Galatea breaks the silence. "I cannot see, so I do not know what it is that I am eating. Would someone please let me know what it is that I am putting in my mouth? I would like to give my thanks later to the chef for the food."

Heaving a sigh, I thank Galatea for leading the conversation into more neutral territory. Sometimes the blind really are the most perceptive. Nana volunteers herself to be Galatea's eyes, as she explains each and every dish. The rest of us listen to her explanations, while inspecting each plate. Even though she is still quite young, she tells us that she had participated in the making of the food, along with her mother. The food is excellent, to be sure, though we are unused to both the taste and the quantity placed in front of us. The dish that most of the warriors have avoided so far is something called 'natto,' which apparently is made from fermented beans. That stickiness is not something I would associate with food. The most noticeable thing is the abundance of seafood on the table. Apparently small cuts of raw fish are considered a delicacy, which we are told can be found elsewhere in this city. Not so surprising, with this being a large island, and the sea not too far off, easily accessible to fishermen.

Finally, the meal comes to an end, and several menservants come out to clear the table. In the place of the food, they leave small trays of fruits as desserts. This is more food than we typically eat, certainly fit for the wealthiest citizens of the largest towns on the Continent.

"Good, now, if you wouldn't mind, please start at the beginning, so that we can learn more about what drove you away to here." Armand picks up a piece of fruit, while looking at us expectantly. His family is also paying attention, while the boy seems lost, looking back and forth, and feeling the sort of alienation from the lack of a common language. His teammate, however, has decided to fill him in.

Normally I would have taken that as the cue to start, but surprisingly, it was Clare who first begins to talk. Some of the others are surprised by this also, since Clare rarely volunteers to speak for us. However, remembering that she has felt the most acute loss from leaving the Continent, and the boy with whom she formed an attachment, behind, I let her continue her account of the events leading up to our exile. Perhaps this would be beneficial for her, even.

It takes a long time to tell about our tale, and we take turns telling portions of it, but our audience is attentive, even though several of them clearly showed that they have no idea what we are referring to, sometimes. It seems not everyone in his household knows about his background, or if they did, only the most basic portions of it.

By the time we have finished, the empty plates have already been retrieved by the servants, and we are merely facing each other around the table. No one speaks, as everyone is deep in thought.

Looking up, Armand finally breaks the silence. "That was a very interesting story, as I had expected. To be honest, I already found out about the existence of the Dragon-Kin long ago."

At this, our eyes widen in surprise.

"Well, I never trusted the Organization. To take a bunch of boys and then surgically place yoma flesh into them…that seemed to me rather odd. Of course, I was told the same thing that you have been told, how we were supposed to be the defenders of humans. In that time, not all of the humans know about how we were created, so I was still able to talk to some of the older people living in different villages around the Continent, without being shunned. And most of them told me, that for as long as they remembered, there had never been yoma there, until about a year or two before we were taken in by the Organization."

I closed my eyes, thinking over what he just told us. It was something which I had already found out, but it still angers me, upon hearing it again. To think, an entire continent of people that were lied to, for so many years, all in the interest of some far-off civilization. To think that so many people lost their lives, all for the interest of creating perfect soldiers for someone else's war.

"The Organization itself did not form until around the same time, when I looked deeper. So, naturally, the only possible explanation is that yoma were released by the Organization, instead of the Organization forming in response to the threat of yoma. And I confirmed this when I managed to overhear two of the handlers talking, and revealing the existence of their enemies in another land."

Taking a break, while shifting position, he looks us over, one by one. "So now that we have heard your story, what will you do? Will you remain, or will you go on your way elsewhere? The choice is yours. Remember that this village houses active shinobi, and thus there are many military secrets which we would like to keep out of the eyes of civilians and others who have no business knowing about them. To remain you will be chaperoned, to ensure that you do not learn of them, should you fall into the hands of anyone wishing Kiri harm."

I take that cue to look towards my companions. None of them seems to be opposed to staying. Helen is already enjoying herself, and seems to like having a verbal sparring partner in Tayuya. Deneve is calmly taking in the changes in her surroundings, already having accepted the new environment. Tabitha is willing to go wherever I go. Cynthia does not mind staying in the village, and is reluctant on having to travel again, after such a long journey coming here. Yuma also will go wherever we go. Clare is non-committal. Galatea seems to be the most actively trying to become better adjusted, and already is able to at least form several basic phrases using the unfamiliar tongue. If we were to leave, Galatea would most likely not come with us.

Having made my decision, I turned back towards Armand, our unlikely benefactor. "We will stay."

In response, Nana smiles with joy, having already formed an attachment to us, Galatea, especially. The other two sisters do not seem to mind, but the mother has remained silent. She clearly has not come to terms with the fact there are now additional people who will be sharing the space of this house. The boy, upon hearing the translated version of what has occurred, merely nods once, and then welcomes us with a smile.

"Excellent, well, I welcome you all again to Kirigakure no Sato. Hatsune is off duty for several days, so she can help show you around the village," Armand belatedly turns to his daughter, "unless you have other things already planned."

With a shake of her head, the daughter confirms that she will be available.

"Hey," Helen asks, "is that Armand's claymore that you carry? Have you been taught how to use it by him?"

"Yes, and I have." Hatsune turns to her, with a wry smile. "Did you want to see me using it, as proof?"

"Yeah, that would be great! I nominate Miria to be your opponent!"

"Helen," Deneve chides, "why would you look for a fight, and then ask someone else to do it?"

I agree. Not that I mind, since I am curious to the abilities of a child of a human and an Awakened Being.

"Well, it is only fair, since she is the strongest one out of all of us." Helen replies, as if it is the most obvious thing in the world. That is true, but only by a very small margin. Clare's skills and power have risen consistently in the last few years, making a complete mockery of her status as a former Number 47. Objectively speaking, her power has risen to be comparable to my own.

The others all seem to be thinking it over, while turning to look at Hatsune. The woman shrugs, non-committal. "It's fine with me, but I won't be at my best until tomorrow. I have been travelling and fighting earlier today."

Armand's expression is unreadable, contemplating the situation. His right hand is on the table, with his fingers unconsciously tapping away to an invisible beat. Everyone has turned their eyes in his direction, to see how he responds. He is both the father, and leader, of his children, and his word is law in this household. Will he sanction the spar?

Slowly, as if reluctant, he finally nods his head. Lifting his eyes, he turns to look at me first, and then at his daughter. "Very well. Tomorrow we will head to the closest training ground near the compound. Get your rest and be prepared."

* * *

**Zabuza**

It is still early, but I wanted to make sure I get a good spot to look at the upcoming spar. This particular training ground is actually somewhat small, in comparison to the others ones further away, but is the closest to Armand home. And it is quite obvious that I am not the only one who wants to see these women fight. People quickly noticed, during the course of yesterday, that the recent arrivals carried the same swords as the one used by Armand previously, and now by Hatsune. If they carried identical swords, then they must also know how to use them.

When Haku told me, last night, that Hatsune will be sparring with one of the visitors, I immediately decided that I want to see it. Kisame was with us also at that time, and quickly decided that he couldn't miss it either. He openly lamented the fact that Armand chose his own daughter to face the woman, and did not consider letting him have a go at it. He then told Ao about this, who then told Utakata, who told Mei, who in turn told Chojuro, and soon the rest of the Seven heard about it.

By this morning, there are now more than fifty people already here to watch the anticipated fight, the number somehow multiplying overnight, from the quick spread of the news. They have all taken the best available spots remaining around the training field. I noticed Kimimaro perched on one of the closest trees, and go up to him.

"How did you know about this?" I asked casually, though I already have a suspicion as to how he found out.

"Tayuya told me," Kimimaro confirms my guess. Not very surprising, considering that they are old teammates after all, along with Haku.

"Are you here to watch the stranger, or here to watch Hatsune?" I couldn't help asking. The lad is so obvious with his behavior, it is a wonder that Hatsune has not yet picked it up. While otherwise intelligent, and an excellent shinobi all around, she has proved to be slow in the uptake in regards to the Kaguya's open crush. No one wants to say it out loud, but it is quite possible that she simply does not see him the way he sees her.

The boy, sensitive as ever, turns to me, with his eyes narrowed in warning. "That is none of your concern, Zabuza-san."

"Oh, only Zabuza-san? Why do I not get to be called Senpai, unlike dear Hatsune?"

With his mouth set in a straight line, he turns his face back towards the field, signaling the end of this discussion, as far as he is concerned. "There is no need for me to answer any further questions in regards to Hatsune-senpai."

In the back of my mind, I sighed. What a hopeless pair, these two. One is completely oblivious, while the other simply has not worked up the courage to talk to her about what he truly feels, or let anyone else do it for him, under the threat of painful retaliation from the talented Kaguya. His sensei and his teammates had helped him, gradually, to come out of his dark shell, and be a little bit more sociable. But he remains a work in progress.

When I look back up, I see the participants finally show up, along with the rest of the people staying at Armand's compound. Some are stunned, to say the least, seeing the number of people already waiting around the field. The blond women look at each other, unsure as to what this could mean. Hatsune casually talks to them, probably letting them know that we are mere spectators. Huh, I've heard that she could actually talk to them in their language, but it is still a bit strange, seeing it happening.

On the topic of Hatsune, I idly begin to recall all the things that have made her one of the most desirable women in Kirigakure, as well as the most unobtainable. The firstborn of Armand, she has received many recommendations for her conduct through numerous missions, and earned praise from people who worked with her. It is hard to make one's mark, when the father has already made a name for himself as one of the Seven, on top of becoming Mizukage. However, she has done precisely that, ensuring that no one will ever think of her as simply the daughter of Armand, and will refer to her by her name only. Besides that, she is also one of the most beautiful women in Kiri, having been blest with her mother's looks. It is a combination that at once attract the attention of others, while at the same time puts feelings of inadequacy into the minds of many bachelors.

The thing that serves as the greatest barrier for her marriage prospects, however, is the edict from none other than her father. After the birth of Tayuya, he decreed, as clan head, that anyone who wished to marry someone from the Mochizuki household would have to marry into the family and take up the Mochizuki name. Also, only the children will become head of the clan, which effectively ruled out any potential husbands of his daughters.

It immediately caused friction, and protests erupted from the various clans and wealthy civilian families, who had their eyes on Hatsune as prospective daughter-in-law. She was still quite young at that time, but by then, Armand's reputation was so well known that many people sought to cement an alliance with him through the marriage of their children, though he was only a first generation shinobi, and not from any established clan. They argued that it goes against the prevalent norm of society, where daughters are married into the husbands' families. In response, Armand told them, sternly, that it had been a tradition from Kaede's family, and he was simply formally stating it, so that everyone will know of it. Since Kaede herself did not originate from the Main Island of Mizu no Kuni, conveniently enough, and was the last member of her family from one of the hundreds of small outlying islands, it would be a significant deterrent to anyone who wished to verify his claims. On top of that, with the way each clan from the various different islands guarded their traditions religiously, there was simply no way for anyone to legally challenge Armand on that point, since it would open up the possibility of having their own customs placed under scrutiny.

When I asked him, one time, what his reasoning was for his edict, he explained that Kaede's ancestors, invariably, had daughters, and there were few, if any, sons ever born to her side of the family, as far back as anyone could remember. After the birth of Tayuya, Armand had casually noted that it was his second daughter. In response, Kaede told him how, as far as what her mother knew, and from what her mother heard from her own mother, that they simply had difficulty conceiving sons. It was not something any of them could understand, but they had simply accepted that as something unique to their bodies.

This surprised Armand, so he asked to check his wife and do a diagnostic, using the medic-nin training he had received. What he found was that Kaede's body, for some reason, has a high probability of inactivating the Y chromosome prior to conception, leaving only viable genetic material to have daughters. If this carries through their daughters, then they may very well never have any male heir. Thus, the edict was partially to protect the family, to ensure that they would not merely die out from lack of male heirs, and also to deter anyone from marrying his children merely for their connection to him. Only those that truly care for them would be willing to give up their own surnames, adopt the Mochizuki name, and never seek to become the leader of the clan.

Ah, I've been thinking too deeply into this, and have missed the beginning of the spar. The sound of those swords clashing is what finally brought me back from my contemplations. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

* * *

**Tayuya**

In a way, it annoys me to stand next to the bimbo to watch the fight between Nee-san and the bimbo's leader. But, at the same time, I cannot wait to gloat in her face, if her leader fails to defeat Aneki. If these people think that we are weaker just because we do not have yoma flesh, then they are in for a rude awakening.

They are testing each other still, circling one another. Dad had basically told Nee-san, in private, not to reveal her vectors, and to hold back on revealing any ninjutsu. Not unless the other woman ups her ante, that is. If a swordfight is what they are mainly looking for, then Aneki should be able to give it to them, without revealing too much of her other abilities. Dad used to be one of them, after all, and knew all about how they worked, and their training method. He had taught both of us to wield his claymore, even though only one of us will be able to use it at any given time. The training had been very grueling, but he wanted us to be as proficient with it as possible, in the event that any of these women show up to these shores. And now here they are.

"Hey, I hope your sister is prepared," the bimbo speaks up, confidently. "Miria is the fastest amongst all of us, and if she gets serious, there is no way your sister will be able to catch up to her."

I give her a look of uncaring disbelief. "We will see about that, won't we? I hope you won't be too disappointed, if my sister ends up defeating her."

"Ha, there's no way."

"You don't even know what my sister can do."

We are stopped from the inane argument, when the sound of two swords clashing is once again heard.

The other woman, Miria, dashes forward with a quick strike, which Aneki parries, and then returns with an attempted sweep, which the woman easily dodges. Both of them are fully focused on the other. An unspoken rule seems to have passed between them, in which the intensity level has increased, little by little, and the strikes are coming along stronger, and harder. They are letting this draw out, for as long as they can. Neither of them wants this to end too quickly, until they have satisfied themselves in gauging each other's abilities.

With a sudden blur, Miria has gotten behind Aneki, with the sword drawn for a horizontal cut. She makes it seem completely effortless, which, to her, probably is, considering the enhanced speed that the implanted yoma flesh provides her. That tactic, perhaps, would have worked on most of the shinobi below Jounin level, but not Hatsune.

With practiced ease, Aneki turns to block, while at the same time deflecting her own claymore off of the other person's weapon, and transitions her block into an attack of her own. Miria's eyes widen, just a bit, as though surprised that a human has been able to use her own weapon so well. She forces her feet off the ground, and flips back, before the strike connects.

Landing some distance away, she pauses, while scrutinizing Aneki. "That was impressive, and you have held on well, even though I have started fighting at a level above what typical human should be able to withstand."

With her claymore still held up in a guarded position, Aneki looks back, with a small smile. "My father has trained me to be able to at least survive against someone from the top ten. Though my body is not like yours, I can still outperform most other people, and I am considered amongst the fastest here in this country."

Upon hearing this, Miria turns to look towards Dad, and then looks back toward Aneki. "That is some claim that you are making, but considering who your father is, maybe it is not so farfetched."

Next to me, the bimbo gives me a rough nudge into my side with her elbow. I turn to her, irritated. "What the hell is your problem?"

"Are you guys for real? Did she say she can actually match up against someone from the Organization's top ten?" Bimbo looks incredulous, not that I blame her. As they say, if a frog has lived all its life inside a well with nothing else approaching its size, then of course it would think it is the head honcho. But when the frog actually gets out of the well, one day, and notices the world around it, then it realizes just how small its horizons had been, and how much bigger the world is then what it believed to be. The bimbo is a classic case of the frog.

"It has been a long time since my father has been on your Continent, but I am sure he knows what level a top ten should be." With my eyebrow raised, I smirk. "Why, are you worried for your leader now?"

"Yeah right, I don't believe it. We spent years, years, I tell you, training. You guys cannot possibly catch up, since you guys don't have our increased physical abilities."

"And, as far as we can tell, your sisters and your self do not have any traceable amount of yoki. Unless you have been trained to hide it well, the more plausible explanation is that you simply don't have any inherited yoma flesh." Her friend, standing next to her, speaks up. Deneve, I think her name is, the one with the closely cut hair. See, I'm making an effort to learn.

"But, we have other abilities which none of you know yet. My sister is still holding back." I turn my attention back to the fight. Why bother arguing over something, when it is best to see it with your own eyes? Dad told Aneki to hold back as much as possible, because he wanted to surprise these women. To make them understand that they are not nearly as powerful as they think themselves to be, in comparison to the shinobi here. The whole point is to use this spar to cause a shock effect. To entice them with the show of power, without overtly asking them to join us, so that if they do come to us, it would seem that they are all doing it out of their free will, without any coercion on our part.

The pace of the fight has gone up, in the meantime. They are both moving very fast now, and their dance of swords is so quick that it is hard to keep track of them. Around us, the other spectators have gotten progressively more excited while watching the spectacle. Kisame has a rather dangerous smile on his face, and I involuntarily shudder. I would hate to be the one that has gotten his interest, and I still don't know how Aneki can put up with having to work with him. Sensei, who is standing some distance further away, seems interested, but not nearly as willing to challenge any of these blond women to a fight. Kimimaro, the ass, is watching the spar intently. I will bet he didn't even look at the face of Miria.

When I look at Miria again, I notice that she has stopped. Just as I begin to question whether her supposedly greater stamina has given out on her, I widen my eyes in surprise. All of a sudden there are two identical copies of her, on either side.

"Ah, so she has gotten serious. Now you will get to see why she was known as Phantom Miria by everyone in the Organization." The bimbo's cocky smile has returned, and she has an I-told-you-so-and-you-didn't-believe-me look that I want to wipe off of her face.

Sure enough, Miria's real person has disappeared, and just as quickly, swung her sword down into the ground, in front of where Aneki would be. However, Aneki has noticed that the woman is finally using a greater amount of her power, and has utilized a special technique. This probably gave her the go-ahead to leave a Mizu Bunshin in her place, which duly dispersed into a splash of water.

Miria looks stunned, and I finally get to see the idiotic look on the bimbo's face that I have been waiting for, all this morning. Miria probably wanted to have the claymore stop just before it reached Aneki, in order to force her to concede defeat. However, she obviously did not expect something like this to happen.

She turns around, but was not able to dodge a kick that forced her back. There Aneki stands, or, quite possibly, one of her Mizu Bunshins. "I had wanted to go a little longer without revealing more of my skill set, but I guess that was never going to happen in the first place." Then, walking out of the nearby cover, several more clones appear, all with their claymores held out in front of them.

"Wh…what the hell? How could there be more than one of her?" Turning to me, the bimbo gesticulates wildly at the clones. "These are not just afterimages, unlike what Miria can do. What are they?"

As I look at the other women, I notice similar looks of shock registering on their faces, and looks of concern on a few of them. This is so worth it.

"As I said before, you don't even know anything about my sister, beyond the fact that she is the daughter of what you would call an Awakened Being. Well, just to let you know, people in this part of the world know how to use another force of energy, which can manipulate the very elements themselves. Why else do you think this place is part of what is called the Elemental Countries?"

Continuing on, I press forward further, with vindictive glee. "Oh, by the way, my sister is called the _Phantom_ of the Mist, because she is the best in terms of creating and confusing enemies with her clones. There are people who have died while fighting her, without ever actually inflicting any injury against her."

Rather than explain anything further, I let them see it for themselves. The clones all started attacking, and Miria, even though still somewhat confused, reacts quickly. She slashes at several of the clones, to see them bursting into water, just like before. She allows herself to be cut by one of the clones. However, she quickly slashes that clone, only to see it also disperse into water.

"Interesting, so these are clones made of water, which you have willed into your shape, and can even cause real damage." Miria looks warily around, more cautious now. "I take it, as your sister there said, that this is an ability that can be performed by humans as well?"

"That is true, indeed. However, only those that are trained to utilize this energy would be able to do it, so ordinary civilians typically do not have such capabilities." A disembodied voice answers her, seemingly coming from nowhere, and at the same time everywhere around the field. "I wonder, if you will be able to find the real me?"

From the puddles of water now dispersed on the ground, more copies of Aneki rise up, and quickly run towards Miria. Every time a Mizu Bunshin is dispersed, it just creates more material for Aneki to create more Bunshins. Like a person under siege, Miria takes a defensive position, and quickly attacks only those clones that are closest to her. This method seems to work well, as she attempts to find the real Aneki from the mass of clones, and slowly cut down on the number of clones surrounding her.

Shouts of encouragement are now ringing around the field, as people have seen that Aneki has drawn first blood, and imminent victory appears to be at hand. The noise volume is greater now than before, as more people showed up to watch the fight since it first started.

They are further encouraged, when Miria's strikes goes through several of the clones, but the clones do not disperse. It was bound to happen, her using the Oboro Bunshins in conjunction with regular Mizu Bunshins. With these, she can hit her targets at will while drifting in and out of the clones, and thoroughly confuse her enemies. The surprise that registered on these women's faces is now even greater, upon seeing this. I hate to sound like the bimbo, but I have to say, there is no way that their leader can win now.

While dodging and turning, Miria apparently has decided that attack is the best form of defense. Using the same technique as before, she creates multiple afterimages of herself, and wades into the clones, now counterattacking. Some of Aneki clones attack the afterimages, but just like with the Oboro Bunshin, those efforts are wasted. She cuts quickly, and moves onto the next target before any of the clones can get close enough. Not bad at all, for someone who is seeing ninjutsu used in combat for the first time. She has already found a way to counter the massed effects of the Bunshins, while wasting as little energy against them as possible.

The battle has become a confusing mass of the real and the unreal. Miria's afterimages mingle amongst the clones, which in turn may either be dispersible Mizu Bunshins or unreal Oboro Bunshins. Even though they are from very different places, both of them are using similar tactics.

I am beginning to worry, though I would never admit it out loud to these other women. The sun has noticeably moved its position from the time when the spar first began. Aneki has done quite well in holding her own against their best, but it is true that we would lose a test of stamina. Though these clones individually do not need a large amount of chakra to create, the large number of them, and the constant dispersal of Bunshins, has to take a toll.

Miria's speed is, indeed, very impressive, and without the self-imposed handicap earlier, it almost seems as if she is using shunshin to appear at different parts of the field at will. Her movements are basically now untraceable, and around me, the amazed shinobi have all commented to this effect. For Aneki to finally force her to accept defeat, she would have to stop Miria from moving first.

And it seems that she has also come to this conclusion. The clones all of a sudden rush against her from all sides, in order to trap Miria, and prevent her from escaping. Miria is forced to come to a stop, as she weathers the sudden barrage of blows from the clones. While she is distracted, a pair of arms reaches up from beneath her, and pulls her down into the ground, leaving only her head still above ground. Even her large claymore has been taken below ground by the surprise attack.

Aneki then appeared from the ground in front of Miria, thus revealing the place where she has been hiding. She levels her own claymore against Miria neck. "Do you yield?"

Closing her eyes in resignation, Miria nods her head.

The reaction to his is very different, depending on the people. The gathered audience from Kiri is ecstatic and great amount of enthusiastic cheering break out in support of Aneki. The blonde women next to me are dismayed, probably not used to seeing their leader lose. To be fair, though, I am still very impressed with Miria, and I knew that if this had dragged out any longer, the outcome could have been very different. The other spectators do not know this, and are merely happy that one of their own has won against one of these foreigners. If nothing else, at least this spar would serve as a good morale booster, and inspire greater confidence in the shinobi forces.

In the meanwhile, Aneki has helped to dig Miria out of the ground, and has reached out a hand. "That was a very good spar, and I thank you for it."

Miria stares at the offered hand, and then back up into Aneki's face. She returns the gesture, and shakes Aneki's hand. "You are indeed as good as you claim to be."

"I was fortunate, in that you did not know anything about my techniques." Aneki leads her to the side of the field, in our direction.

The gathered crowd has thinned with the spar now over, as people begin to get on with their tasks for the day. Soon, the only people left other than the participants of the fight are the comrades of Miria, Kimimaro, Dad, and me.

"Hatsune-senpai, congratulations on your victory." Kimimaro declared, rather predictably.

Putting her hand to her forehead, Aneki shakes her head, before leveling her eyes with his. "It was a spar, Kimimaro, and there was nothing to be won here."

"Regardless, it was a scintillating performance."

Thankfully, Aneki has decided to spare the rest of us the usual drivel that will now be coming from her number one fan, and has decided to leave the field, with Kimimaro by her side.

The people remaining on the field now gather together, with the other women forming a semi-circle around Dad. I stand off to the side a little, knowing that I am not the main focus of the upcoming conversation.

"If Miria is any indication, then you are all quite strong, much stronger, really, than what I would have expected. It does seem that the seven years of training you undertook in secret have helped to improve your skills significantly." Dad gives them a small smile, in appreciation. It has been a long time since he had been with anyone of his background, and he seems nostalgic in seeing such display of skills again.

"That was not really your intention, was it? Did you have an ulterior motive in mind when you agreed to have the spar take place?" Miria has narrowed her eyes, in suspicion. She really is a sharp one.

"Hm? I have no idea what you could be referring to. Several decades had passed since I last set foot on the Continent. Why should I not wish to enjoy the chance to see warriors in action, after such a prolonged absence?" Dad tilts his head, while answering her with what passes for a candid smile.

The other woman continues to look suspiciously at him, while the rest of the blonde warriors in black are looking back and forth between the two of them. An unspoken tension has arisen.

"You can think what you will. I realize it must still be difficult to trust an Awakened Being at his word, but I reassure you, I do not intend any harm against you."

"It is not harm against us that I worry about."

"Oh, then what can it be?" Dad takes a few steps closer to Miria who, to her credit, does not back away, but merely tilts her face upwards to continue to stare into his eyes. He looks genuinely curious now, almost as if trying to pry her thoughts and reveal them for all to see.

"You want to recruit us."

And, there it is, the truth behind the morning's events. If Dad looks surprised by her voicing his purpose, he does not show it. He wouldn't be, anyway, since he had counted on them picking this up, eventually.

"What a fascinating notion. Let us suppose, then, that I do. What will you do now?"

Silence greets his question. The other women are now looking at each other, with none-so-subtle glances. Each person seems to have her own opinion, but wants to gauge the responses of the others first. Or, perhaps, they had already suspected the hidden agenda, but are now assessing what to do in response, now that it has finally come out in the open.

"I don't know," Miria frankly replies. "You know that it goes against how we have been taught to operate, from a young age."

"It does indeed. Therefore, I do not expect any of you to give me an answer, right now. I would much prefer that you think it over, before making any decisions. That goes for all of you, of course."

Then, stepping a more respectful distance away, he looks them over once again, and as I follow his glance, I notice that a myriad of emotions are playing over their faces. There is indecision, and conflicted feelings. I cannot say I understand them, since I had never been taught in the manner they have been. After all, most of the Kiri genin have already killed, on average, by the time of their fifth mission. Those that lacked the stomach for it either dropped out of the forces, or have their lives ended prematurely.

"I must get going now. There is probably already a pile of things for me to look over in the office. Tayuya, bring them back to the compound first, since I expect Hatsune will be there. You are free to go take care of that task along with Haku, and take Kimimaro along with you too, if you can. I am sure Hatsune will appreciate the respite from his attention."

Chuckling to myself, I acknowledge his request. She would indeed. Turning to the women, I notice that they are still silently contemplating all that he had said earlier. "Come on, you can think about this another time. My sister will be your guide for today." I beckon towards them, and they follow along, obediently, with their minds still elsewhere.

They may not yet be aware of the different interpersonal relationships inside this village, but I am sure it would fascinate them. The first bait to get their interest was the spar. The second phase will be to weave them into the social fabric, and to slowly integrate them. Before they realize it, they will be too entrenched in the lives of the other citizens of Kiri, and will find it difficult to leave.

And the best part is, the whole plan was completely improvised from last night's dinner, with the bimbo offering the serendipitous suggestion that set it up. Dad had initially been wary of letting them see too much ninjutsu, in case they figure out how to channel chakra from observing others, before they ever dedicate themselves to the defense of Kiri. But, if we purposely reveal some of it to them, as Aneki suggested, then perhaps it would whet their appetite for more. We could still entice them, but by admitting that we are trying to get them to come to us, at least they would not become overly distrustful, and reject us outright.

It will be interesting to see if all this goes according to plan.

* * *

**A.N. **Apologies again for the lack of updates. Will update again as new ideas are fleshed out in my mind. Please, as always, leave any constructive criticism, as they would be appreciated.


	6. The Decision

**A.N.** In regards to the previous chapter, I made a guess as to when the Claymore and Kiri characters will finally meet people from Konoha. I was optimistic; the meeting will likely be delayed a little bit, but it will come. The point of convergence will be the Wave Country arc, which will be noticeably different compared to the canon. But I'm getting ahead of myself here.

I do not own Naruto or Claymore. They are the works of Kishimoto Masashi and Yagi Norihiro, respectively. I also do not own any recognizable parts I take from Elfen Lied, which is a work by Okamoto Rin. I do, however, own the new characters that I create for the purpose of the story.

* * *

**Cynthia**

It has been almost a year since we came here.

As I drink from the steaming cup of genmaicha in this mountainside teahouse, I cannot help thinking of the changes in my life since departing the Continent. If anyone had told me two years ago that I would end up in another land not plagued by yoma, I would surely have laughed. Oh, Veronica…if only you are here with me. I have so much to tell you. I certainly would not have thought that after having gone through the hellish battle in Pieta, that we would be enjoying the comparatively peaceful existence here in Kirigakure.

After the initial excitement created by our arrival, the people here have gradually gotten used to our presence, and given us signs of acceptance. It is not easy, but at least no one here has any preconceptions and outset prejudices of what we are or supposed to be, unlike with the people in the Continent. It is true that part of this is due to the fact that most of the populace here does not know of our hybrid nature, and I, for one, find it refreshing to not have distrusting and judgmental looks directed at me as I walk through the streets.

The only thing that stands out for us is the fact that we look foreign, but that is not something we can hide easily. We have fairer complexions than most of the women here, and our facial structure looks different enough that we can be easily noticed in a crowd. That, and the fact we are taller than most of the women, and even some of the men. Especially Galatea, who is easily the tallest woman in all of Kirigakure, and towers over all the men except for Armand and Hoshigaki Kisame. But since Armand had apparently been an exemplary citizen here for so many years, people are more willing to give us a chance, rather than condemn us for our similar strangeness.

Every day, more people offer me a smile and words of greeting as I walk amongst them, which I reciprocate in kind. The fact that we have finally become somewhat more conversant in their language certainly helps, so that we can at least procure goods and services on our own, without the need for translators for these transactions. In fact, I quite enjoy wondering around the village on my own, or sometimes with Yuma or Tabitha tagging along. We know that there are always shinobi watching us, ready to jump in should we wonder too close to anywhere we are not supposed to. But still, I took advantage of whatever freedom allowed us. It had been a long time since we wondered around a village this size, and that last time had been Rabona, all those distant months ago. Already, that seemed like another lifetime away. Some details of our time there are already fading, but I welcome it. While the memory of our fellow warriors in the Continent will always be in my heart, the truth of the matter is we will no longer be going back. We have a new opportunity here now, to make of what we will.

We earn a living by performing odd jobs around the village. Some of the tasks are truly mundane, and not even the genin would perform them. However, since we are not incorporated into the shinobi forces, we are not allowed to take on armed escort missions for the merchants, which would have given us a much higher pay. As it is, the pay we receive from the lowly missions allow us to get the few necessities that we need, without the need to trouble our hosts.

Our prolonged stay has become increasingly embarrassing, at least for me. While Armand and his daughters do not seem bothered by our presence in his home, his wife is another story. She has not outright said anything, and because they are amongst the wealthiest households in the village, our extra presence does not cause any noticeable financial burden on them. It is the way in which she looks at us that reveals what goes on inside her mind. If only we can somehow earn enough to actually move out. Galatea has already done so, by taking on the role of a live-in caretaker for the largest orphanage in the village, to the dismay of Nana. Now only the seven of us remain.

We could, of course, set out to learn a different trade from what we have learned most of our lives. Armand has admitted that part of the reason that he has maintained his sanity is that he set out to learn different skills and professions, as he moved from town to town, which he had done for a greater part of his awakened life. Rather than devolving into a mindless creature with no other desire than to sate its hunger for human innards, he was able to recover some semblance of his former willpower prior to his awakening, and forced himself to blend into human society. When it became clear he had mastered a craft or a trade, he would move on elsewhere, and repeat the process all over again. This is a possibility for us, to completely give up our former livelihood. But, the pride inside ourselves would never allow us to seriously accept this option.

The most obvious solution would be to become shinobi, which would allow us to take on the higher paying jobs available only to them, and enable us to finally live independently from our hosts. That, however, would again bring back the uncomfortable question of whether we are ready to take a human life. The two older Mochizuki sisters have been blunt in their description of some of the more unsavory missions assigned to them, by their own father, no less. In the Organization's history, any warriors discovered to violate this code were ceaselessly pursued and hunted down. A prime example of this was the case with Theresa, which is still a sore point for Clare. Not that I can blame her.

Wanting to turn my head away from that unwelcome train of thought, I decided to shut my mind off, and let my eyes take in the beauty of the rolling morning mist blanketing the ground as far away into the as far away as the eyes can see, into the distant waters surrounding the island. The name 'Kirigakure' is very apt, since there is a layer of mist across the island almost every day of the year. The only difference is how much of the mist exists at any given part of the day. Even at noontime, there is a thin layer of visible moisture hanging in the air. Right now, before the sun has risen far above the horizon, the mist is thick enough to prevent most of the sunlight from filtering through, and instead reflecting off the light, and creating an ethereal splendor that I have come to love. I am not religious, but in this mystic magnificence I believe I can see the hand of a deity at work, if there is one. Though this land is not the land of my birth, its people and everything else about it have slowly wormed their way into my heart. It may be hard for some to believe this, but even silver-eyed witches can feel as human as any not touched by yoma.

My sensitive ears pick up the sound of approaching footsteps. Even though they are trained shinobi, whose steps are much lighter than the average human, such things can still be noticed by those with enhanced hearing from the influence of incorporated yoma flesh. As expected, the usual quartet step through the parting mist, as they make their way up the mountain, and towards this teahouse. After I begin coming here in the early morning, I have found that, except on the days when they have missions, Tayuya's old team uses the teahouse as an unofficial meeting spot after morning training sessions. They are all nice people, even the non-talkative one, Kimimaro. Talking with them is often an interesting experience, especially when they reveal their lives as shinobi.

"Like I said, I hate going to that place," an obviously disgruntled Tayuya tells Haku. "And it's not even like I need to be there if I'm not sick or injured, anyway."

"You know it is the rule, Tayuya. Mizukage-sama wants to ensure the shinobi are all mentally and physically well enough to be carrying out missions." Kimimaro speaks up from behind her, quick to the defense of Armand as usual. "And, really, is it such an excruciating experience? I have never had any trouble myself."

Curiosity has gotten the better of me, and I begin to wonder what it is that they are talking about. It is quite normal to see Tayuya so animated, but for Kimimaro this is quite unusual.

Soon enough, the four of them climbed up the stone stairs leading to the teahouse. Tayuya's sulking face is followed by Haku's quietly amused one. Kimimaro is expressionless, as usual, as he follows the other two. Finally, their former sensei brings up the rear. The woman turns to me, and raises her hand to give me a small wave, and a smile in greeting. I return the gestures, and soon enough the woman is leading her former charges towards my table by the window.

Umeshiro Nozomi, the only other woman, besides Hatsune, amongst the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. She is of noble birth; her father's clan used to be one of the most influential ones, both in Kirigakure and in the capital of Mizu no Kuni. Her mother was said to be a noblewoman who came across the sea from the distant landmass, a place called the Middle Kingdom. Currently she is the only member of her clan; the remaining had been killed during her childhood as a result of political intrigue instigated by rival families during the time of unrest in Kirigakure. For ten years, she hid in her mother's homeland, training herself to become proficient enough to avenge her clan. However, upon her return, all of her enemies had themselves been killed prior to her arrival, leaving her without a purpose. This was until Armand discovered her, and persuaded her to join Kirigakure, and also his cause of reforming the country through his coup.

Upon passing her jounin qualification exams, from what I was told, she was entrusted with three young, bright genin with deeply seated personal issues. They were like fragile ice sculptures—bright under the light, but easily broken if not handled carefully. And yet, she had turned them into an excellent team, passing their chunnin exam on their very first try. However, she turned down the opportunity to work with more genin teams, and had instead focused on working with and improving the team she built.

Said team had just sat down next to me, and the waitress comes by to take their orders. However, their orders have always remained the same, so it becomes little more than formality.

"Good morning, everyone. So what are you guys talking about, if you don't mind me asking, Nozomi-san," I begin the conversation, hoping to learn something new.

"Good morning, Cynthia-san. Tayuya is being very vocal of her dislike of the main hospital, and of the need for the annual checkup required of all shinobi."

"They are just a bunch of useless snobs with the worst professional attitude," Tayuya complains, "and that one I saw last year, Sato, was a pervert, who probably only became a med-nin so that he can feel up kunoichi."

Haku nods in agreement. "Yes, I have also noted his questionable behavior around female patients. But he is careful to not do anything overtly, so as of yet the hospital administrators have no real reason to dismiss him."

"You have got to be kidding me," the girl looks at Haku with incredulity. "I've talked to a bunch of women who had experience with him, and let me tell you, none of them liked him. And they all agreed that he is a pervert."

"Regardless," their former sensei speaks up, "we cannot simply have him dismissed, when we already have a shortage of skilled med-nin. Despite what you feel for that man, he is still a competent medic."

"And that's why he acts the way he does, Sensei, because he knows he has enough leeway to get away with it." Tayuya growls, her displeasure evident. "Are we really that desperate, that we must have people like him working in the hospital?"

"How bad is this shortage of skilled healers?" I am interested, and I leaned in closer to the table to participate in their conversation.

"Not completely desperate, but years of infighting have helped to drive off some of our most skilled personnel to other places in Mizu no Kuni, to protect themselves. And because of the many islands that make up the country, it is easy for each one of them to move to their own rural island away from Kirigakure, and set up practices amongst the civilian towns. Guaranteed income with the decreased competition, and also less chance of them being killed." Nozomi replies, while thanking the waitress for the food that had just been brought to the table.

The conversation takes a pause, as the newly arrived Kiri nin begin taking their morning meal. After a suitable amount of time has passed, I decide to continue it once again.

"And…how difficult is it to become a healer?"

As soon as I asked, all four of them turned their eyes towards me. My face becomes flushed for a few seconds, noticing that I now have their undivided attention.

"Well, you most certainly would need an education in medicine," Haku begins, speculatively, while gently blowing on his miso soup, "on top of the regular shinobi training."

"How interested are you in becoming a med-nin?" Nozomi asks. "To do this, you would need good chakra control...and you have not even had experience in drawing out your own chakra yet."

"Which will not be taught to you, until you decide to actually become a shinobi first," Tayuya helpfully adds, with a smirk. "In case you forgot."

I inwardly frown, though I am careful not to show it on my face. How can I forget, when it seems every other person decides to remind me every single day? I do not really care that much for the shinobi training, but healing sounds interesting. If I can already do so using yoki manipulation, why can I not do the same using another energy source? It is true that we have not been told yet how this thing called chakra precisely works, since there has been no need for us know. But it seems like just about all the people can learn how to use it. Even Armand has been known to use it, so why can't we, warriors who have yet to become fully awakened?

"I have begun some training in becoming a med-nin, Cynthia-san," Haku smiles encouragingly, "and it is entirely doable, even for someone who had not been trained to use chakra at an early age." I cannot but help reply with a smile of my own. I would not mind working with him, not at all.

"If you do it, it would be a godsend for all the women," Tayuya adds, "there are not enough women serving as med-nin, even though women typically have better chakra control than men." While her reasoning is selfish, at least I can understand it.

"I would welcome any new addition to Kiri…it would certainly help us." Kimimaro calmly gives his input, seemingly unperturbed, and not caring whether I do it or not. At least he is being somewhat supportive.

"In the end," Nozomi says, drawing everyone's attention back to her, "the decision is yours to make. Let no one put pressure on you. You have to be willing to put in the effort, and live with the choice. Also, despite the fact that med-nin are valued mainly for their healing skills, they are still called upon to fight, if the situation demands it. Would you be able to handle the task of both taking a life and healing one?"

I think over her words quietly to myself, even as the conversation ceases, and the five of us begin to partake in our meal in silence.

Afterwards, when I bid good day to the others, I begin walking back towards the compound. Hopefully some of the others are there, so that I can broach the topic of a meeting with Armand, so that we can finally decide whether to join the shinobi of Kirigakure.

I have made my decision, but it remains to be seen how the others take it.

* * *

**Kisame**

It is a rare sight to see Armand excited. Or as close to excitation as his body language reveals, anyway.

But, here we are, waiting in his office, and he seems full of anticipation.

"You look like a child who has found a secret stash of sweets," I drily comment.

"I will disregard the comparison of myself with a child, but I think you will feel the same, when you find out why it is I have called you here." Armand replies, without bothering to look at me. "Trust me, this is going to change your life."

"Usually when someone says something like that," I narrow my eyes in annoyance, "it does not bode well."

Finally turning his head to look at me, I can see the sign of mirth in his eyes. What is he planning now, I wonder?

"I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise, so you are just going to have to wait a bit longer."

Grunting a response, I decide to look at the other occupant of the room. Hatsune seems unperturbed, and seems to be taking everything in stride. Whether it is because she is used to her father's behavior, or because she already has knowledge of this supposed great surprise, I know not. But I do know I hate being the one left out of the loop.

Fortunately, I do not have to wait for much longer. Eight new chakra signatures appeared, walking sedately towards the Mizukage's office. Over the course of the year, I have committed to memory the unique chakra of these women. Though they are no longer complete strangers, as they have taken to wondering around more often, rather than staying inside the Mochizuki compound, there is still much mystery around them. And I would dearly love to find out more.

A knock is sounded, and Armand calls them in. All three of us turn to watch them enter the room.

Not much has changed from their initial appearance. But then again, all of them seemed to have reached equilibrium in terms of their physical appearance due to their inner yoma. There is no denying that all of them are great beauties, and any man would give an arm to have one of them by his side. It is not surprising that a secret betting pool had been set up some time ago, to see which one of these women would finally break out of her shell, and at least show an interest in one of the men in Kirigakure. It is amusing, to be sure, especially the fact that Galatea has attracted the highest amount of fervent attention. Despite the fact that she is a nun, none of them are deterred. Her sizeable following is convinced that one of them would finally be the one to convince her to give up her holy vows, and join the secular world. I wish them luck, because I certainly do not believe it will happen anytime soon.

When the doors to the office are finally closed, Armand sits up straighter, and beckon all of us to gather around him.

"Now, as I understand it, the eight of you have finally reached a decision in regards to your future here?"

Oho, so this is what it's about. Looks like the subliminal messages directed at them over the course of the past year has finally gotten to them.

"We have," admitted Miria, their voice once again. Her face shows no unease, and her tone does not betray any uncertainty. Evidently they have had enough time to contemplate this.

"So, what have you decided?" Armand looks each of them over, and raises his eyebrows in question.

"I will remain a civilian. I have chosen this path long before we even left the Continent, and I am content to work in the orphanage." Galatea speaks up, without hesitation, with her eyes closed. "And I am sure it would have been almost impossible to be a shinobi without the use of my eyes."

"That is so," Armand responds, with a slight raise on the edges of his lips, "but you and I both know it is possible to rectify that. And it is actually not as difficult as you make it out to be, as long as you desire to effect the change."

Now that is an interesting thing to know. I had heard about Armand's extraordinary healing abilities using the yoki in his body, and I had assumed these women also have them. But this is the first time I have heard of actually restoring one's sight. I always thought the loss of one's eyes is irreversible. If this is not the case, then why had she not taken advantage of this yet? Why reason could there be to continue living with this deficiency?

The nun is now frowning. "Perhaps one of my reasons is because I do not want to be drawn into another conflict away from the Continent, especially any of your devising."

"If that is the case, I will not push you." Closing his eyes in resignation, Armand releases a sigh. I suppress an urge to grin. It is no secret that he has been more interested in Galatea than any of the other women. I am surprised that Kaede has not throttled him and banned him from the compound for this yet. Even though the woman has moved out into the orphanage, probably because she knows of Kaede's distrust of her as a possible home wrecker, he still stops by her orphanage now and then.

"But I still think you should be trained in at least chakra detection. It will make your life easier as well." Armand continues on, apparently undeterred. "There are no guards assigned to the orphanage, so you would be the only one protecting the children there from any possible harm. The least you can do is to learn some basics so that you can at least hold off any intruders, until help arrives."

Well, I must give him points for persistence.

With a shake of her head, knowing that Armand will pursue the issue to the end no matter what, she finally deigns to respond. "Do whatever you like."

"Excellent," Armand now turns to look at the other women, his mood obviously improved. Being one of the few who knows his estimate of his age, I cannot but help roll my eyes. He really does act like a brat sometime. At least he doesn't throw a temper tantrum if he doesn't get his way. Is this the secret to being a Mizukage? If that is the case, then I'm glad I decided not to follow through with the jest of fighting him for the title. I have a reputation to uphold, and I do not want to sink to sweet talk my way to success. Besides, I know myself well enough to know I wouldn't be able to pull it off, even if I tried.

"Now, what about the rest of you?"

"Do you honestly care? It looks like we are only needed to fill the background or something," Helen speaks up, with sarcasm dripping heavily. "As long as you can have Galatea, we may as well not be here at all."

"Nonsense, what gives you that idea?" Armand turns his eyes to her, with a smile. "I appreciate your opinions just as much as anyone else."

"That doesn't always seem to be the case, but whatever." Deneve speaks up, with her arms crossed in front of her. "Both Helen and I would like to become shinobi, so yes, we will pledge loyalty to this village."

"Hey! I thought I was the one to let everyone know what we decided on!" Helen cries out in mock annoyance.

"You are taking forever with your dramatics, and the sooner we finish this, the sooner we can get on with our lives." Deneve calmly responds, not falling for her histrionics.

"I will join also," Miria speaks up, tuning out the sideshow between Deneve and Helen. "After a year of reflection, I have realized that after seeing the fall of the Organization, I no longer had a purpose in life. While I do not know if I can learn to live as you obviously have done, I honestly would not mind protecting the people here."

"As will I," Tabitha quickly adds.

"I will also," Clare's eyes lock on those of Armand. "Although you will have to let me go, if I do hear anything about Raki's whereabouts."

This Raki, I was told, was someone she had left behind from their travel here. Still, what could she possibly do, now that there is such a distance away from their original point of departure, and it has been so long since they last met?

"Shinobi do not always get to choose such things for themselves," Armand sternly looks at her. "And it really does not reflect well on you, the fact that you openly admit that you are likely to leave someday."

A tense silence follow, as everyone else looks on at the two of them.

"I can simply reject your request, and send you out of here on a ship back to the Continent," Armand slowly continues, while tapping his fingers against the desk. "If you really want to find him, why not simply leave? Why not leave your companions behind? None of them are part of your personal quest."

Silence once again greets his words. All the humor has left his face, and he is focusing his eyes on Clare.

Finally, she opens her mouth, with a reluctant response. "No, but I cannot leave them now, until I know for sure what has happened to him. I made a promise to him, and I want to be able to see it through. I have already lost enough, and until I know for sure he is dead, I will not give up on my promise. But at the same time, I am unwilling to leave right away, having gone through so much in the last few years with my fellow warriors."

"If you don't mind me asking," Hatsune asks, "just how important is this person to you?"

"He is one of the reasons why I have remained human so far, rather than going off the deep end, or end up dead." Clare affirmatively answers, without a shadow of a doubt in her response.

"Clare," Miria shoots her a note of warning, while looking towards me.

"He already knows, so it doesn't matter." Armand answers for me, preempting the need for me to explain. "It is kind of hard to hide this from him, anyway, since he can detect the differences between your chakra and that of a normal human being."

"You told him?" Miria's voice holds a certain level of incredulity, and her eyes betray her shock.

"Is this supposed to remain a secret?" I gruffly ask in response. I am standing right here, and there is no need to talk as if I'm not here. "If it puts your mind at ease, the number of people that know of this is limited, so you have no need to worry about it. Only one other person besides Armand's family and me knows about your condition, and neither of us will talk. We have enough sense not to."

Seven pairs of grey eyes, and one set of white, turn towards me. Silently evaluating my trustworthiness.

I give a cocky grin in response, knowing full well the kind of effect it usually has on people. "Do I look like someone who will easily cave in and gossip?"

A few of them turned away, while some remained focused on me, doubtful. It's not like I can really change the way I look. If they don't think I can be trusted, then it's too bad for them; I already know their secret, whether they want me to or not. I had been a part of the Intelligence squad in the past, and I had always protected vital information, for the good of Kirigakure. There is no need to prove myself to anyone.

"Kisame is very good at keeping secrets," Hatsune speaks up for me, in reassurance. Not that I really need it, but it is good to see I am appreciated. I had actually fancied her, despite our age gap, until the Kaguya boy came up to me and none too subtly told me to keep away from her. I kept at it for awhile, just to annoy him, since we both know he still cannot best me in combat, but in the end decided to put a stop to it. Why bother, when there are plenty of fish in the ocean?

"Anyway, we are getting off topic here," Armand draws their attention away from me, "but I would also like to assure you Kisame's trustworthiness, as well as that of Ao, the other one who also knows."

A few nods in response, and Miria finally looks like she is willing to let go of the issue.

"Now then, what about the two of you?" Armand asks of Cynthia and Yuma, the only ones yet without a response.

"I, um, I would also like to join," Yuma offers a rather lackluster response. Going with the flow, I guess.

"I will as well, but I also have a condition," Cynthia looks on, with a benign expression.

"Oh, man, not you too, Cynthia," Helen groans in response. "What issues do you have? We never heard you telling us anything that you have left unfinished."

"Well, then, let us hear it," Armand prods, with a neutral look. Though it cannot hide the curiosity evident in his voice. I too am curious, though I try to rein in my interest.

"I would like to specialize to become a med-nin."

I blink, and I turn to see that both Hatsune and Armand also are fascinated by this response. Does she even know what she is asking?

"I spoke with Haku-san and his team earlier this week," Cynthia confesses, "and they explained to me some of the challenges of becoming a med-nin. But I am confident in my abilities, and I have an interest in healing."

"Well, this is somewhat unexpected," Armand murmurs, while thinking out loud. "But med-nin is a very demanding occupation, and the key to it is a keen mind and good chakra control."

"I understand." Cynthia looks undeterred. "I was told that there is a shortage here of med-nin, and I would like to help."

"So you have heard about that," understanding now dawning on Hatsune's face.

"You have a need for healers?" Galatea asks, her curiosity awakened.

"We do, actually. Have you decided to reconsider your earlier decision?" Armand is quick to ask. "I do not want to unduly influence you though, of course."

"Since you put it that way," Galatea's face turns sardonic, "then I will say, no."

Armand's face fell, but honestly, did he expect otherwise?

"Otou-sama…" Hatsune finally speaks up, mild censure found in her voice and her eyes.

"Yes, daughter of mine, I will lay off." Armand waves her off. After schooling his face again, he turns to Cynthia with an intense look. "I will most certainly welcome a new med-nin, but please understand that not just anyone can become one. As it is, the training will take time, and not all of the people in the hospital have time to spare. You will have to do most of the work on your own, with probably some pointers here and there from whoever has time available, unless I can find a person who can dedicate more time to supervise your training. Will you be able to do that?"

"Yes," Cynthia responds with a smile, "and Haku-san has agreed to help me, teaching me what he knows."

"Well, that certainly is convenient," Armand nods. "Very well, seeing as he is apprenticed to the head medic, and his skills are already notable, I will agree to this."

"Hey, that's great, Cynthia!" Helen enthusiastically congratulates her. "Although I have no clue whatsoever how different this med-nin thing works. Will we still be able to see you?"

"You will," Armand assures her. "Even though she will be doing much more self studies and individual work compared to the regular shinobi, she won't be hidden away in a hospital, at least just yet."

"Before we continue, are all seven of you sure about your decision to become shinobi?" He gives a searching look at the seven black-clad women. "You all had a year to think this over, since the last time we discussed this. Remember, you are likely going to be asked to take human lives during the course of this career path. Not every mission will necessarily involve bloodshed, but you have to be prepared for it if the occasion rises. Will you be able to follow through?"

I had heard something about their code of not taking human lives, so the question is not surprising. If they aren't, then they best give up any ideas of becoming shinobi.

"We have thought it over," Miria speaks up once again for the others. "We may not like it, but for the protection of those that are defenseless, we will do it."

Seeing no signs to the contrary from the other six women, Armand opens up a drawer, and takes out seven head plates. "Then, I welcome you all to the service of Kirigakure no Sato."

All seven take their turn in picking up the head plate, but begin looking at each other, as if unsure where to place them.

"They are called 'head plates' for a reason," I remind them, "but plenty of shinobi seem to think they are more useful as decorations than as actual forehead protectors, so what do I know. Feel free to place them anywhere conspicuous on your body, as long as they don't get lost."

After an awkward moment, all seven decided on wrapping them around their left arms.

Talk about herd mentality.

"Oh, I almost forgot." Armand snaps his fingers, as he starts filling out the necessary paperwork to confirm their status as active shinobi. "For the purpose of registration, I have decided upon a surname for all of you. Galatea can also choose to use it, if she likes. Not that you actually need one, but I think it's better to have other people reference you with a name, rather than 'those foreign women,' don't you think?"

"You have chosen a surname for us, without our input?" Galatea speaks up with raised eyebrows. "Somehow I am not surprised."

"And just what have you decided upon?" Deneve asks, a frown visible on her forehead.

Knowing Armand, though, their unease is probably unfounded.

"Nishinosono."

"The Garden of the West," Tabitha carefully translates out loud. "That doesn't sound too bad."

"A rather nice way to reference the Continent," Cynthia rolls the name around her mouth, before giving a bright smile. "I like it."

"A nice euphemism, more like." Deneve shakes her head. "But I am fine with it."

"Hah, that means we are sisters now," Helen smirks, while hooking her right arm over Clare's shoulders, "Isn't that great?"

"Sure," Clare comments, non-committal.

The rest of them either nods or shrugs. For people who have lived without surnames for so long, they presumably felt no real need to celebrate having one now. Especially since they have been together before their arrival here, so probably do not need a name to connect them together any further.

Clasping his hands together, and placing them on the table, he looks them over. "Right, so now, that brings us to the second part of this meeting."

"The assigning of teams." Deneve says, more as a statement of fact than a question.

"Huh, how do you know about this, Deneve?" Helen turns around to ask her, bewildered at the discrepancy in their knowledge of how shinobi operate.

"Just through observation and hearing people talk. Shinobi operate in teams, just like we used to do in the Continent. It ensures greater chance of success."

"Correct," Hatsune nods in approval, "we now have to see how best to divide you into two teams."

I cannot help but grin. So, this is what Armand had in mind for me. He knows me well, not trusting me with sniveling brats as a genin team, knowing I would probably work them to death. Heh, at last I get to test myself against them, and see for myself just how strong they are.

"Galatea has already said she would not take part, so we will leave her out. Cynthia will take part in training exercises, alternating between the two teams, while working towards being a med-nin." Armand announces. "So, six of you remain, which can be divided evenly into two teams."

Everyone now looks at him, and the look of anticipation is obvious on a few of them. Helen is the most obvious one, while Yuma and Tabitha also seem more interested than the others.

"The first team will be Miria, Tabitha, and Helen."

"WHAT?" Helen exclaims in surprise, with her mouth hanging open. Miria looks unperturbed, while Tabitha looks relieved.

"And the second team will be Deneve, Clare, and Yuma." Having already heard the previous list, the other three are not so surprised. Though Yuma looks somewhat bothered by it. Did she want to be on Miria's team?

"Wait a minute," Helen protests.

Armand, however, continues onward as if he did not hear her. "The first team will be lead by Hoshigaki Kisame, and Mochizuki Hatsune will take charge of the second team."

Now that is a surprise, and I turn around to look at Hatsune. She, too, seems stunned. Both of us obviously thought she would be the one to have Miria on her team. Her fighting style, as seen from the exhibition fight months ago, suggest that it is similar to Hatsune's. Why would he not pair them off?

Finally acknowledging Helen's complaints, Armand wearily turns to look at her. "Yes, Helen. Do you have something you would like to share with us?"

"Yeah I do! Why did you put Deneve and me in separate teams? We are meant to be together!"

Deneve, for her part, pinches her nose with her eyes closed, probably having guessed this kind of reaction from Helen.

"While I will not say how that statement can be misconstrued," Armand drily notes, "I do have my reasoning."

"Like what?" Helen asks in challenge.

"One thing you are going to have to learn is to obey your superiors, unless you have some serious moral objections to whatever it is they ask of you." Armand responds slowly, as if he is lecturing a five year old rather than a fully grown woman. "But then again, you probably should not be a shinobi if that sort of thing happens very often."

"I just want to know your reasoning, that's all."

"Are you sure you want to find out?" Armand asks. "Some of you may not like my reasoning."

"I'm sure we can accept it," Miria speaks up, cutting off whatever response Helen was prepared to make. Probably a good thing.

"I see. Very well, then." Armand leans back into his seat, while looking the six of them over again, one by one.

"Miria has obvious leadership qualities, and is also one of the strongest. Clare is probably the second strongest amongst you, so it does not make sense to have the both of them on the same team."

Everyone nods in understanding.

"Clare also happens to be good with yoki detection. I do not actually know whether that means she will also excel in chakra sensing, but I think there is a correlation. Since Tabitha is the yoki detection specialist amongst you, then I cannot have the two of them on the same team either. So Tabitha goes with Miria."

Tabitha gives a small smile, obviously thankful that her trait has allowed her to be chosen for Miria's team.

"After Miria, the other person with the most sensible head on her shoulders is Deneve. She will be on Clare's team."

Deneve's eyes widen minutely, but then return to normal quickly. Clare has an annoyed look, having understood the subtle jibe.

"Exactly, so that means there's one more person for each team. Why can't I get the third slot for Deneve's team?" Helen asks once again. "No offense to Miria-nee, but I have worked with Deneve the longest."

Armand's patience is obviously wearing thin, as his eyes are narrowed. Almost half a minute passes, before he finally chooses to answer.

"I didn't want to say this because I did not want to unnecessarily offend anyone," he quietly says. "But out of all of you, the strongest, currently, are Miria and Clare, followed by Deneve and yourself."

Yuma's face fell, though Tabitha seems to accept the situation with better grace.

"If I were to place the three of you together, the strength of the two teams will be uneven. That is the reason why I decided to place Yuma with Clare and Deneve, and for you to be on Miria's team."

Well, that was awkward. And I can see that Helen is feeling sheepish, realizing the unfortunate way in which Armand's assessments were laid out in the open. But she can't say that he didn't warn her.

Now, the only thing remaining is to explain his choice of sensei for the two teams, but both Hatsune and I know we can ask him some other time.

"This is an unusual arrangement, as none of you have gone through the Shinobi Academy here, so not only will your senseis have to teach you some of the basics, they would also have to work towards building you into an acceptable genin team that can be nominated for the chunnin exams." Armand continues. "In some aspects you are already quite capable, while in others you are direly lacking. You all have above-human strength, are skilled with your claymores, and have worked together as teams in the past. But at the same time, you do not even know how to draw out and utilize chakra yet, or make use of ninjutsu and genjutsu. I will let your senseis figure out how best to approach this."

"Heh, no problem," I give a confident grin. Armand was right; I am looking forward to this. I have never bothered nominating myself for to be a jounin sensei, and most people probably would never have allowed me to take charge of one, fearing I would break the children. Still, since it is one of the few things I have yet to do as a shinobi, the least I can do is to try it out. After all, there is no way I can traumatize women that have faced off against human flesh-eating yoma any further.

Not to mention I can brag the fact I have three kunoichi in my genin team. I need to have someone with a camera with me when I disclose this to those women's fan clubs.

"Understood," Hatsune responds with a smile. Her inclusion as a jounin sensei for this lot is not so surprising. After all, she already possesses an understanding of them.

"Now then, Galatea and Cynthia can stay, while I suggest the two teams take time to get to know each other."

"Is that actually a suggestion? And I thought I made clear my decision to remain a civilian, so why have you included me when you will likely be discussing military matters?" Galatea asks in slight annoyance.

"You have, but I thought you allowed me to include you to teach you how to use chakra. Or have you already forgotten about that?" Armand responds with amusement.

I chuckle, while turning towards my new team. "Ok, the three of you, let's get going." There is still an entire of afternoon for me to work with them. Might as well get the most out of the rest of this day.

"Team, follow me," Hatsune calls on the other women, and together we leave the office.

* * *

**A.N. **Nishinosono = 西の園, in case anyone is curious. Genmaicha is brown rice tea, a green tea with roasted brown rice.

Please review, and offer any constructive criticisms. I have an idea developing in my head, but I would welcome any suggestions that can improve the story.


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